New to site - Hello & Thank You!

[Cattal]

I stumbled upon this site earlier this week, and I am thoroughly hooked! My husband and I are the human's that are allowed to live in - what we refer to as - "Maximillian's Empire". Max , as he is also known, is an almost 3 y/o orange/ginger tabby and the light of our lives! Someday I hope to submit him for Cat of the Day, but for now, I just want to say THANK you for such an enjoyable site! I look forward to coming here and will pass the link along to all my pet loving friends :)

[zippy-kat]

Welcome to the site!

Max sounds handsome!

[Logan]

Hi! And welcome. We sure do love it here, and hope you will as well. Share pictures when you can. One of my favorite pasttimes is looking at all the beautiful pets!

I'm Logan, mom to my human daughter, Helen, as well as Lilly and Honey, Butter and Mimi, plus a few others. You will see all 4 dogs and cats in my signature.

[Cougie Wechsler]

Welcome! You will find that Pet of the Day/Pet Talk is a wonderful community of people who love and cherish pets! Look forward to hearing about Max!

[Karen]

Welcome to Max AND his humans! :)

[Catcrazed]

Welcome!

[AvaJoy]

Nice to meet you, and welcome!! Does Max resemble my boy Meeshe?

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~jemdoll/meeshe1.JPG

[Gio]

Welcome to both you and Max.

Beware though, a couple of days and you will be completely addicted to this site!

[Cattal]

Thank for the welcome's everyone!
Yes, AvaJoy, your baby looks a lot like Max -although Max is - um, "healthier" in weight (was that politically correct?!) and he has no white in him - more cream.

I am sorry to have to add that Max is not well at the moment. It is a LONG story, and I am hopeful that it is not life threatening or debilitating to him in any way, but it seems he has hurt his back or back end. Possible pinched nerve, pulled muscle or more serious with a ruptured disk or a growth. He has his usual "catitude" and has appetite and using box in "all ways" which is very positive. He seems to want to play and do things he loves, but he cries when he moves a certain way or gets up from laying down and then gives up trying to move at times. Other times he jumps on the bed, etc., we are mystified.

He is not even 3 and he is our joy. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers - he is at the vet again this morning. :confused: :(

Hug your kitties for us today!

[4 feline house]

Max's folks-

I had a cat that also was injured. She was an indoor cat but one day escaped, was gone two days, and came back limping, and dragging her tail, being unable to lift it. After a few hours back home I realized she was also incontinent. The emergency vet recommended I put her down because she would never recover, and even if I was willing to clean up after her she would begin to suffer recurrent bladder infections. So I took her home so we could say goodbye. I took her to my regulare vet the next Monday to have the deed done, but thankfully he examined her instead. After asking me extensive questions like "at first, did she do this" "did the other vet try this, and if so what was Boosie's reaction" and stuff. He finally determined that Boosie had already made considerable gains and would recover, the only question was to what degree. I took her home again, this time not to say goodbye but to do all I could for her. It wasn't hard cleaning up after her, because all she wanted to do at first was lay down, so I had her on an easily cleaned, water proof bed. When she did get up to walk around, it was to the litter box, but she dropped her poops behind her before she could make it. But eventually her rectal function returned, and I made little diapers for her. After while she needed the diapers during the day when she slept, or at night when I slept, or when I wasn't home, because she was beginning to be able to control her bladder enough that she would head for the litter box, I'd pick her up and run her in there. It was alot of work, but she did nearly recover. Sadly, I'll never know if she would have made a full recovery because she went to the rainbow bridge due to an illness unrelated to her accident. But I believe she would have.

The shorty story is, too many vets are all too quick to write off a cat who has nerve or paralysis problems. Don't let them make you think, if it is a nerve problem, that he won't recover!

I could tell an even more remarkable story about my mom's cat who recovered from complete paralysis, but this is alreayd too long a post!

Let us know what you find out.

[Cattal]

Spoke with the vet and we are THANKFUL to learn that after Xrays Max has nothing major going on. I neglected to mention earlier that our buddy took a swing at a big doggy that invaded Max's space just over a week ago, and his claw caught in a railroad tie (that lines our walkway) and came completely out. He goes outside *only* on a run or supervised walks and the dog was also on a leash, but it just came too close. We called the vet, "fixed him up" and were told to just watch for infection. When he started acting lethargic we took him right in and they put him on meds and gave him a pain killer injection. In a matter of an hour he was better, but then he got much worse Sat. Eve into yesterday. His symptoms no longer seemed related to the accidental "de-claw" because he would scream when he moved quickly and it seemed his back end bothered him. Because Max is so feisty (call it "cattitude", they still haven't been able to properly check him to see "where" it hurts, or to conclude it is a pinched nerve or pulled muscle, but we can live with that as long as there is no rupture or growth or worse. They said the "de-claw" is sure to be extremely painful for him because the quick is exposed, and it could be that the pain is travelling.

We look forward to having Max home again! :D

[wolflady]

Welcome to Pet Talk Max's human!! Glad to have you here! I sure hope Max is alright! Keep us posted!! :D

[aly]

I'm so glad its nothing serious with Max. I will pray for him though that his pain will ease asap.

[AvaJoy]

Yes, AvaJoy, your baby looks a lot like Max -although Max is - um, "healthier" in weight (was that politically correct?!) and he has no white in him - more cream.


Meeshe appears to be under weight because, well . . . he is not healthy. He is FeLV+. But happily, he was just to the vet and gained 3 pounds :) so he is now 10 lbs. of solid, sinewy muscle . . . I refer to him as my little cheetah boy! :)

[Cattal]

Max is approx. 16 lbs. of not so sinewy, not so muscle! ;) He is a big kitty with a baby face! But thankfully, he is a very healthy guy other than his current ailment - which we still haven't diagnosed for certain, but we are closer!

Since he won't let the vet examine him, we took video of Max at home and I am going to bring it to the vet later today. We now are 100% sure this has little to do with his accidental "de-claw" on his left front paw...it is his right back leg and we suspect it is fractured or sprained bad, but not bad enough to be conclusive. The poor guy has been suffering with terrible pain for over a week - I hope they'll be able to help him now.

Please continue to think good thoughts for Max! Thanks!

[margaret]

Welcome to Max and his humans! But I'm SO sorry to hear that Max is going through some health troubles. Poor guy!! I hope the pain isn't too severe! :( Sniff. :( Me and my two kitties are sending you good vibes, Max! I hope you get better soon and that you'll be pain-free!

I, of course, would love to see pics of Max. It helped to see a "lookalike" with Meeshe. :) I know you're planning to eventually submit Max for "Cat of the Day", but do you think you could try to post one here for us now? I hope it's not too much trouble. Otherwise, guess I'll just have to wait for Max's lucky day!!! :)

Again, get well soon, Max!!!!!! XOXOXO

[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: margaret ]

[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: margaret ]

[wolflady]

Max's Human, how is he doing today?? I certainly hope they find a solution for his pain soon! *hugs* to your big boy from my big boys: Marius, Scooter and me too! :)

4feline, great story about your cat's recovery. What a great furmom you are! :) I'm interested in hearing about your mom's cat that recovered from complete paralysis??!! :eek: Wow! Do tell! :)

[tatsxxx11]

Hi and welcome! Sorry I'm a bit late in greeting you! I was so distressed to hear that Max was not feeling well. Hope the pain subsides quickly, poor baby! He sounds so sweet...My name is Sandra and my kids include Cody and Star (husky (x) and lab) Mr. B and Oliver, (DLH and PersianxMaine Coon) and Mr. Squeekers the guinea pig! Hope to hear that Max is feeling better soon! And by the way, picture posting on the forum is MANDATORY!! :D

[4 feline house]

Wolflady,

Before any of us kids were born, my mom had two cats named Micky Chick, a girl, and Jimmy Jim, a boy. Micky Chick always liked to stretch up and look into the refrigerator any time my mom or dad had it open. Only thing is, one day it accidently closed on her and broke her back. The vet recommended putting her down since she had no use of her back legs and could not empty her bladder or move her bowels (the opposite of Boosie's problem). Like me, my mom needed a little time to say goodbye, and Micky Chick was not in any pain, so she took her home. Over the ensuing days as my mom prepared to let her go, she was amazed to see that Jimmy Jim was bringing mouthfulls of food to her, dragging her to her water bowl, and dragging her outside and helping her eliminate like a mama cat does with her babies. He was grooming her and keeping her company. He was being the complete nurse! This made it even harder for my mom to put her to sleep. But very soon my mom started to notice very slight improvement - a toe twitching, a tail trembling. Very, very gradually, with Jimmy Jim's help, Micky Chick started being able to drag herself around. Then she was starting to be able to push with her back feet, even though she still could not stand up. Eventually, though, she was able to walk, was able to eliminate, and was able to make a complete recovery. This is such an old story I no longer remember the time frame in which this all happened, but the vet called it a miracle and my mom was so glad she didn't listen to him.

[wolflady]

4feline, wow! What a neat story! It truely sounds like one of those Miracle Pets stories that you see on PAX :D It's amazing the bond that Micky Chick and Jimmy Jim had with each other. How precious. Thanks for a really great story this Friday morning! :D :cool:

[Logan]

Wow!!! Leah, that is a wonderful story, and I agree, it belongs on Miracle Pets! Althought I don't know how "cat" actors could ever recreate the story. I think you should definitely consider it for a story at Petwarmers. You could do it at the link www.petwarmers.com (http://www.petwarmers.com) . What a wonderful success story. How long did she live?

[Cattal]

I took heed to the requests to get a photo up here of Max but I don't know how to do it...it's a .bmp and it is on my Mac, not a URL. Once I figure it out, I'll put up the photo.

I reviewed the videotape with the vet. He concluded after watching it that Max has had a fall and that he is severely bruised or has a pinched nerve in his back. The spinal x-ray shows nothing and the Dr. seems sure there isn't any broken bones. They gave Max a pain killer, (low dose), but last night the pain seemed worse than ever. Everytime he got up, he screamed in pain and lurched backwards. I was up most of the night with him. This morning he seemed better and we thought that we were back on track. He had 3 screaming episodes before I left and then a friend of ours came in to check on him later. He was happy to see her at first, but then she couldn't find him. When she finally located him, she said that he got scared (highly unusual, Max LOVES this friend) - or was playing "hide and seek" with her because he took off like a shot and bounded up 14 stairs. She followed him and noticed he was watching her from the loft. She went up and bent down to pet him and he scooted past her and bounded back down the stairs. She said he never made a sound of pain. That's what happens - one minute he screaming and the next he could be acting like nothing is wrong. Most of the time though he just lays there. He is also twiching and shivering a little - I have called the vet - but he wasn't in. I'll call him again shortly.

Has ANYONE got any clues?? - we have been dealing with this for well over a week and it is killing us all...we love him so much...we'd give anything to have him wake us up in the middle of the night to feed him instead of a blood curtling scream. I dread tonight and the impending weekend.

4Feline, thank you for your inspirational story - I hope we are witnessing a miracle pet.

Thank you eveyone for your kind words and prayers. Please keep them coming.

PS: Max is an indoor cat, too. We think he was walking the railing of our loft if/when he fell. I think perhaps he didn't land correctly avoiding the exposed quick.

[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: Max's Human ]

[4 feline house]

Both Micky Chick and Jimmy Jim went on to live normal life spans, with Micky never showing any more signs of injury. They were still around when I was born, but I don't remember them.

Max's human - thanks for the update. I hope he gets better soon.

[wolflady]

Max's human, I sure hope a solution is found for Max soon! Sounds possible that he did fall from someplace high and injured his back. I had a friend that had the same thing happen to their dachshund. They came home and found her parylized from the waist back. They assume she fell down the stairs. Luckily, she went into surgury and recovered to the point where she could walk on her own. Unfortunately she's gone to the rainbow bridge due to other circumstances. I sure hope Max get's better soon! Is there any kind of pain killer you can give him to ease the pain?? You are in our thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted.
*hugs* from Karen, Marius and Scooter

[Cattal]

Karen,

Our vet prescribed a low dose of "Torbutrol" for him. He gets 1mg. 3x a day. He has had 4 pills so far but is not much better sorry to say. I FINALLY got the scream/jump back on video - I am going to bring it to the office in the morning to see if there is something we missed.

He had to have fallen from the loft railing when we weren't home. Please continue to pray for him - he is one awesome guy!

[4 feline house]

I just clicked Petwarmers from Logan's link, and really enjoyed the stories! Some of them were a little farfetched - the dolphin one - but then again, who knows, animals are so amazing it could have happened! I think I'll subscribe....

[Cattal]

Thanks for the hints on posting Max's photo. I tried last night, but I believe the URL was for that sight only.

I have used webshots - thanks for the tip!

http://community.webshots.com/user/cathtal

Thanks for your thoughts and prayer's. Max really needs them. I have to take him to a vet who specializes in neurology on Monday. Our vet did another very thorough exam today with more xrays. No broken bones are evident , spine looks fine - but it now seems that EVERYTIME Max tries to get up it is not very long that he screams in pain and falls back to the floor. He wants to get up so bad. Poor thing is now constipated too - he's too afraid to get up to use the box.

I hope the photo will show just how special our big guy with the baby face is.

[4 feline house]

Bless his furry little heart. He seems to be in such distress. I'll be praying for him and y'all, his humans.

[Cattal]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SpencerTheLion:
[QB]...you did not realize how close you were! Got to go, but here is your thumbnail & full-blown picture of Max:


Thanks so much! I was just coming here to try again!

[Cattal]

...have you ever considered naming Max iMax? :D http://www2.fwi.com/~forrest/graphics/icons_download_mac.gif :D

ROFL! No, I hadn't thought of it! I'll be sure to try it out on him!

I am cross-platform (knowledgeable of both Mac and PC) but I am so pre-occupied with my four legged patient, that I have no "patience" for anything else! That's what I get for trying to rush ;) FYI, I CAN "right click" on the thumbnail (some mouses for Mac have a right click) to get the name or drag it, or the larger view, to my desktop to see it also. I thank you for your help!

(i)Max :D is a little better today - I think the meds are starting to help. He was bright and playful earlier, still constipated - but he is getting around a little better. He nearly ran his Human Daddy down a little while ago in an attempt to bolt into the basement before we caught him. Usually he has free reign, but it is 14 steps down/up and Max is not supposed to be using them - the outcome: Max won, Human's lose. Sigh...

[Cattal]

Don't know if anyone is still reading this thread, but if so, Max went to the vet neurologist today (quite a long car ride I must add) and it was concluded that Max does likely have a pinched nerve.

IF they had been able to do a proper exam on him, they could have concluded for certain, but feisty man would fought them every step of the way! The Dr. came back to me and said "that is one aggressive guy!" If after a week, we dont see improvement on steroids, he may have to have further tests, but we are hopeful that Max will be up and about in no time!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers ! :D

[wolflady]

Thanks for the update on Max. I was wondering how he was doing! What a cutie he is!! Wow, a pinched nerve, huh? He must be so miserable! I sure hope those meds work!! He sounds a lot like how my Scooter acts when we bring him to the vet. It is such a huge ordeal for us to do so :rolleyes: It's gotten to a point that the vet really doesn't want us to bring him in anymore, because they have to sedate him...just to get near him, everytime!!! Ugh! Honestly...he's a pretty nice cat at home!!! Really!! LOL :o
I'm still thinking about you guys and Max! I sure hope something helps him out soon! Keep us posted on his progress :) *hugs*
Karen, Marius and Scooter=^..^=

[4 feline house]

Max's human - anytime one of the Pet Talkers is in distress, whether it be the two-legged or four-legged kind, rest assured we read the thread until it is resolved! As long as you care to post about Max's progress, we will be reading it, rooting for him, praying for him, and wishing all of y'all well until he's better!

[gini]

First of all, a welcome from me to Pet of the Day and Pet Talk.

Please let me add my prayers and thoughts for Max. All of us care and hope he is well again soon.

Gini

[Cattal]

Yes Karen, he has been miserable for almost 2 weeks. :mad: It has been so painful for him - and so painful for us to watch.

Thanks for the invite to orange cats . . . We're heading over!

It has been wonderful to come here to vent and post thoughts - most people don't understand the bond . . .I'm very thankful for ALL of you! :)

[ July 31, 2001: Message edited by: Max's Human ]

[tatsxxx11]

Poor Max! A pinched nerve is so terribly painful! Hope the steroids help to reduce the discomfort and find him up and about very soon! Max, you are one gorgeous guy! ;) Healing thoughts and lots of love to you Max!

[Cattal]

Hi everyone,

Not much good news to report on the Max front - he is still in pain and lethargic. My husband called me at work this afternoon and suggested that we call the neurologist vet early (I'm supposed to check in on Monday) so I did. Of course, I missed his office hours and I still didn't get a return call.

Since I've gotten home, I haven't heard Max scream/jump back once which I am optimistic about. Although still VERY lethargic, he has also managed to slowly "show up" in every room I've gone into - including here in my "office" - something he hasn't done in a few weeks.

So, our handsome guy still needs lots of good vibes coming his way and we thank you again! ;)

Happy weekend!

[Cattal]

Max goes back to the vet neurologist tomorrow morning for further tests and hopefully a definite diagnosis. He will need to be "knocked out" so he doesn't "take out" the vet or his staff with his bad cattitude, but that also means he has to stay overnight. Max's human's are NOT liking that! He is right beside me as I type and I miss him already. :(

He has gotten a little bit better in the past two days - he actually batted around a fresh bing cherry (albeit slowly) all over "his" kitchen last night and tonight which is ADORABLE to watch. I have photo's of him from last summer when he first discovered those crimson "toys" (I will share somehow - but I have no scanner) he picks them up (in his mouth) by the stem and flings them around . . .we are thrilled to see our big boy "kitten" again - it has been too long!

Again, we ask for your thoughts and prayers both for Max through tomorrow and Friday and for his "missing him already humans"!

I'll post again when we know more.

Be well!

[Ginny]

This story brought chills down my spine how touching. What a miracle story.

[cr7clark]

Max's Human, I know how you feel! Before my Abby went to the rainbow bridge, my husband and I spent a disturbing evening at the emergency vet clinic trying to find out why Abby had blood in her urine. She'd been spotting for several days and it got worse all of a sudden.
Turned out she had stones (struvite calculi) in her bladder. We tried changing foods, but that made her get diarrhea! :( We eventually had to have her put down because her body just couldn't get straightened out. I sure hope Max does better!! :)

[wolflady]

Lot's of hugs to Max!! We're still thinking about him and that the neurologist can find out what's happeneing so Max can get better!!

[Cattal]

Hi everyone,

It is Friday evening and we still have no more news than we did before we took Max to the vet yesterday. As a matter of fact, he has to stay an additional evening. We miss him terribly. They did some sort of scan on him today - I hope it finally solves the mystery. I can't believe he had to stay AGAIN! Did I mention we're miserable?!

[BeeTrixPotter]

Please know that prayers and good wishes for you and Max are being sent from me.
Keep us posted :)

[Cattal]

Hi everyone - we picked up Max yesterday and brought him home.

The test results (spinal tap and scan) showed NO ABNORMALITIES. While we should be reveling in this news, the highly regarded (and VERY expensive) specialist told us point-blank he doesn't KNOW what is wrong with Max. He took a sample of spinal fluid and sent it out for analysis - we'll have those results tomorrow. The Dr. wants to rule out a more serious problem.

Max is VERY happy to be home, but it is evident that he was put through ENOUGH tests for awhile. He has been sleeping almost constantly since he arrived home almost 24 hours ago. He has his appetite and uses his pan, but he has moved into our walk-in closet where it is cozy and dark to sleep - highly unlike our social butterfly. The scream/drop to floor thing seems to be worse since he was at the vet - we were starting to see him improve before he went. The tests they put him through were nothing short of miserable for anyone - I hope that is why he is behaving this way now.

I guess it's obvious that he still needs all the positive vibes this community can give him - he is not even 3 in human years.

[4 feline house]

Bless his little heart.

I learned from Zebo (rainbow bridge) that some kitties just want to hide when they don't feel good.

When Zebo was not even a year old, he darted out one day as I was leaving for work. I didn't have time to look for him, but decided he would be okay outside, figuring he'd find a bush to sleep under and snooze the day away.

Well, he found a place to snooze, but is wasn't the safety of a bush.

When I got home I didn't notice anything. But after a few hours I realized I hadn't seen him; in fact, he hadn't even eaten. I hunted him down and found him in the closet. I still did not know something was wrong, but he did get up and follow me out of the closet. Since he usually ran ahead of me when I went into the kitchen, I turned around to see what was taking so long. That's when I finally saw it - he was favoring one of his back legs and his tail was cut clean through about two inches down - just a flap of skin was holding it on. No wonder he had been hiding in the closet! The vet said he apparently had been in a car engine, and the fan belt got him when the driver turned the car on - a common injury to outside cats.

Jump ahead about 10 years, and due to a fight with one of the neighborhood cats (both neutered, both sweet and docile until they saw each other, us owners never did figure it out) Zebo developed a deep abcess - right next to his jugular vein. The vet was reluctant to excise it, but he would drain it as necessary. I originally figured out something was wrong with Zebo because he was hiding under the bed - he couldn't go hide in a closet because in the house we were in then had doors on the closets (my apartment had been one of those efficiencies where the closet is really nothing but an alcove). Each time he had it drained he would be his normal self, but then he would retreat to under the bed again, and I knew it was time to have it drained again. This story had a good ending, though, because the vet finally decided it was time to take the risk, because Zebo was surely going to die if the abcess wasn't drained - whereas he only might die if it was. So I had it done and Zebo was fine.

Anyway, I didn't mean to go on, I was just trying to say that Max probably just doesn't feel very good right now, so he feels the need to be alone where it's quiet.

Bless his little heart, I hope this mystery is solved soon, and he starts feeling better again.

[ August 12, 2001: Message edited by: 4 feline house ]

[delidog]

welcome to pet talk!!!!! you will love it here!!!!!!but yes,be warned...highly addictive...we might soon be starting a new site titled pet talk anonymous!!!! :) though i am of the canine persuasion...my humans refer to another furkid in my house as my sister :confused: she is of the feline persuasion...i am allowed to refer to her as MS.PUSS!!!! under my breath i call her...kitty with an attitude!!!she is a callico...she has orange in her!!! ;) she has been here longer than i...so we have to vye for my humans attention!!!!being 70 lbs. i think that i usually win....however the feline MS.PUSS always lets me know that the thought is merely in my head!!!!!!the deli dog :)

[delidog]

sorry............i meant first to ask for an update on max...how is he doing?????better i hope....he is in our prayers....hope he is well soon...deli dog and ms.puss :)

[Cattal]

:D :D :D :D
FINALLY heard from the Dr. late today - Max's spinal fluid analysis was normal! YIPPEE!!

Although we still don't know what is wrong - we do know that he does not have lymphoma and I feel it's safe to say whatever it is, is NOT life threatening! They have not tested his blood yet, which seems odd and (to us) a logical 1st step. Though now that he has had every other major test even a HUMAN shouldn't have to experience, our plan of action is to give the kid a break! If he doesn't improve enough in 7-10 days we'll have blood drawn.

THANK YOU for your thoughts, prayers, and posts! I believe we were meant to "stumble" onto this site - it has been a great source of comfort to us!

Finally, 4 feline thank you for sharing your
experience with us - your Zebo was quite the trooper! I had a "Dusty" (Rainbow Bridge) that had some similar experiences - but that's another story! ;) BTW, Max is slowly venturing out of the closet - I think I'd want to hide too if I had all those tests...

[wolflady]

4 feline, thanks for sharing the story of Zebo! Poor guy!! I'm glad he pulled through all that trauma that happened to him. Those car engines can be scary, not to mention deadly!! My father in law drag races, and I remember my husband telling me about how a kitty had gotten into the engine area of the car (it's warm in there after all!) I don't remember the exact story, but he did discover the cat and got it out of there safely, not counting the scratches received in trying to pry the cat out. But, I can imagine how terrified the poor thing would have been! Those drag engines are LOUD!!! He was later referred to as the "cat-man".

I sure hope Max improves. Bless his little furry heart. All those tests!! Be sure to let us know if he goes for the blood test. We're still thinking about you guys! *hugs*
Karen

[Cattal]

Wolflady, Max did go for the blood test - yesterday - (can we say "Mommy is a ...^%$#*!") -- they won't have results ( or at least) call us with results until Monday or Tuesday.

In the meantime, I consulted 2 additional vets. The first suggested that Max has a bulging disc - something that is tricky to Rx without an MRI...but he has suggested an acupuncturist instead -- something we had mulled over recently ourselves. We'll take that further once we hear the blood analysis. He also suggested a natural stress reliever (made from flowers) in the meantime to relax Max a bit. Because it is safe for Max and his Human's -- I decided to take it also -- we both started tonight -- Mommy thinks it works okay! ;)

The 2nd Dr. is a personal friend of my brother's. After hearing our story he has agreed to view the video and perhaps come to our home as a "knowledgable guest" to see Max in his own environment. I called him at his home, so I think it was very nice of him to consult without warning. I just wish it wasn't a month without help for Max...

The saga continues...

[roopooroo]

This stuff is hard to figure out in humans, and we can tell the doctor where it hurts and when it started!

Lucky about your brother's friend. And so nice to lend a hand, too.

[zippy-kat]

Max's Human~

First of all, I would like to apologize! I haven't been checking this post b/c of the title "new to site." I had no idea something was wrong--I just assumed that people were still giving you welcomes! I am so, so sorry!

Poor Max! I hope that the mystery is figured out soon! It sounds like you are doing all that is humanly possible for him. He is lucky to have such an owner!! Please know that my prayers are with you and your loved ones.

[Gina]

Hi, hello & a big welcome to you and Max
from Gina and the Furry Gang (Puca, Juju, Willow, Candi, Pearl, Harry, Rufus & Merlin pussycats....and the dogs- Jake & Tilly! ) :D !

[wolflady]

A natural stress reliever...hey, send some my way! LOL I certainly hope it helps Max (not to mention his humans!!) relax a bit! It's great that you have a personal friend that can come and hopefully give his opinion. I think it will help for him to see Max in his own environment. Less stress on the cat, and a good opportunity for a vet to see him up close. I certainly hope something can be done! Still thinking about you guys!!! *Hugs*
Karen and furry gang=^..^=

[cr7clark]

I sure hope Max improves, it's nice of your brother's friend to come take a look at Max. Get well and best wishes to both of you. We all ought to throw a party when Max recovers!

[Cattal]

Hi everyone,

We were very pleased to find that Max had a better weekend than he has managed to have in a long time. He is still screaming out in pain at times (3 times tonight alone) but he seems to recover better - less debilitating. He came out of the closet on Saturday evening -- FUNNY story -- we had 2 of Max's human "cousin's" overnight. One of the boy's was going to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor in our bedroom. As I went to settle the human kid in, I found that the furry kid had come out of the closet to investigate and made himself TOTALLY at home on the sleeping bag - sprawled out, fast asleep and looking more peaceful than we'd seen him in weeks! I don't think I need to tell you that it was the human kid that slept elsewhere :D

I have since added the sleeping bag to the mock "bed" I made for Max a few weeks ago and he loves it!

Max's blood tests were normal - though that was 3rd hand info - we talk to the specialist tomorrow. My brother's friend is going to view the tape, but he knows our Vet and the specialist well so he is encouraging us to trust their professional opinions. It's not that we don't trust. We just HOPE that someone will be familiar with this problem and help us identify it. He recommends time...plain and simple.

So . . .that is how we begin the week - thank you all for your concern and support!

PS: No problem, Zippy! I had thought about changing the thread, but felt I'd confuse more!

Be well!

[AmberLee]

{{Max and parents/humans}},

So glad that he's starting to feel better and get around more. Holding you in our thoughts and prayers. Hope he continues to improve quickly.

[zippy-kat]

Glad to hear that Max is venturing out a little bit! Hope he continues to improve!!

[Gio]

I made the same "mistake" that ZIppy made, unfortunately I haven't got the time to read all the threads every day (I only have access to a PC at work :D ) so I was not aware that Max was feeling poorly. I'm so pleased that Max is feeling better now.

[delidog]

glad to hear that max is a little more comfortable...it is amazing that with our technology...because they have no voice...they are so hard to diagnose.....max is in our prayers....the deli dog ;)

[Cattal]

Hi Everyone,

Max's blood tests indeed came back normal. Even the muscle protein level was nomal to low - which the Dr. said he thought would be high. The only thing slightly out of range was Max's salt level -- something I didn't even know was possible!

Max has had a "just okay" week. He is up to following us human's wherever we might go around the house, but outside either on our elevated back deck or on his run in the front yard don't seem to appeal to him at all. THIS is strange. It is BEAUTIFUL here at the moment and Max is usually outside and loving it. I like it better when he's in, because I didn't want another outdoor cat this time around. Cat's who own me usually manage to find too much trouble outside and Max is no exception - even restrained.

He has screamed/jumped back/dropped to the floor less and less, thankfully, but in the past two days it has gotten more frequent. The Dr.'s all say we need to give him time to heal . . .but his human's really have a problem watching Max's pain . . .keep up the good thoughts and the prayers for our wee guy and enjoy the weekend - we hope you all have the beautiful weather we are. :D

[zippy-kat]

I'm glad to hear that Max is doing better.

{hugs} to you and Max!

[Ila]

We (Misty my cat & I) will keep Max in our thoughts and prayers. Keep us informed on his vet visits. Also welcome to this site. Its a very informative site and fun relating also to other pet lovers like ourselves. ;)