Sad story time: Subject, my kitty Lily.
I adopted Lilly in 2020 from a local shelter. It was prime covid time, and I was only able to see her picture and see her on video calls with the foster parent before I was able to take her home. Siamese and a bit of house cat within. Her blues eyes are just so big and filled with curiosity. She warmed up pretty quickly to the house and me.
I was so excited to have her here. My very own adopted cat. I made sure to get everything she needed, and asked all the right questions. I was the perfect house for her, in my mind. No children, nice and quiet, and I was so ready to just make her life happy, comfortable, and very ready to bring her on as a new member of the family.
Shortly after her arrival, however - about three months, to be exact - she began to exhibit weird signs. Twitchy skin near her back. Licking the back area compulsively, wagging her tail in irritation, and seeing things that weren’t there. At first I attributed this to extreme separation anxiety. My vet agreed. We tried everything to make her more comfortable, but the standard things that worked for other cats were not working for her. She began to pee habitually in my basement living room, and in other areas I frequented - mostly where her litterbox was. I was dumbfounded. We checked for urinary tract infections. Bladder problems. Thyroid issues, overweight possibilities. These were many vet visits over two years of trying to understand what the hell was happening with my cat.
Naturally, she wasn’t always running scared or trying to bite my legs off. On good days she would be the most comfortable cat I’ve seen, happily sitting in my lap and purring, playing with toys, and just being her beautiful self that I knew her to be. She was protective of me, and loved to monopolize my company. My perfect nap buddy (she still is).
Finally, after two years, my best friend linked me an article to FHS: Feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS) has also been called rolling skin syndrome and twitchy cat disease. FHS generally involves muscle contractions that your cat cannot control, along with changes in behavior. It’s very broad, and poorly understood. I thought that I had an answer to my cat’s woes.
Gabapentin has literally been the only way to alleviate her symptoms. And so many things could be the probably cause. I know she doesn’t have allergies. So its highly possible its psychological in nature. Which requires a very. very expensive pet visit that I no longer have a job to pay for.
Due to her urination, it has caused a lot of damage to the newly finished basement that was competed in 2019 (and where I live). I’ve been given until the end of march to somehow fix this. And chances are, if I don’t find a permanent solution, I would have to put her to sleep due to the nature of her symptoms. I can’t trust another adoptive family with this cat. She is not a normal cat, and needs heightened help. Help that I’m so willing to give, but I do not own the house I live in.
I love her so much. I don’t want to let her go anywhere. I want her to feel safe, and loved, and wanted. I just don’t think until the end of march is enough time to really figure out what she needs.
I’m just... very sad. And upset at myself. Could I had prevented this from happening in some way? Could I have done more? Will she somehow pivot from a habit she’s formed and has done for two years in counting? I don’t know.
If anyone has advice or ideas, I’d love to know. Or if you have an FHS cat that is comfortable... I need something. My area is just... not really an area with an abundance of cat behaviorists and vets that can come to the house.
I just want her to have the chance to be the happiest cat there is. And I don’t have a lot of time left. And I hate it.
