Post by tonib on Jul 12, 2018 18:50:09 GMT
this has been an eventful week.
Saturday
my OH was away. Roman was late coming in so went looking for where his tracker told me he was, of course Osiris came with me. Found him where expected & we all started walking home. Then part way up the road he saw a car with doors open with either people getting in or out. Roman stopped & turned tail back to where he'd been & refused to be caught. Eventually he started back in the right direction but instead of going up the pavement he went along a path in a garden which runs behind a shrubbery which is next to the pavement. Towards the end he finally bounced out of the shrubbery quite cheerfully, took a couple of steps then seemed to stretch/shake his weaker (cruciate op & achilles tendon part stretched) hind leg, 3 leg hopped a few steps then a couple of 4 legged paces before repeating the 3 legged walk. He wouldn't let me catch him & did this mix of strides all the way home! I wondered if he'd damaged his leg again - I've been thinking its getting weaker on occasions recently. Anyway got home Osiris came in the front but Roman insisted on going round the back. At least then I could corner him as I opened the back door into the utility with the next door closed. Well it wasn't his hind leg as I realised something was sticking out of his paw (between the pads) & removed it.
20180708_002307 by osiriscat, on Flickr
Obviously picked up in the dry undergrowth as he came out the shrubbery. Couldn't see anything left in his paw although it does seem that one thorn was missing but hopefully that was broken off on the ground.
Monday
Around teatime, through the kitchen window, I saw Roman on the decking around the summerhouse, just appearing from the shaded part (hidden from view from the window) & thought he's coming in for tea. I then did a double take as realised no collar & realise it wasn't Roman but the ginger tom which may or may not be a stray. Roman was happily ensconced on a chair in the summerhouse. The back door was open so I suspect the ginger heard my surprised comment & retreated & must have gone over the fence. Roman stirred & then I realised he actually didn't have his collar!!! Tracker called into action & it said Roan (i.e. tracker) was in the back garden of a neighbour 2 doors down. Headed down there & the Loc8tor bleeper confirmed it was in that area & yes it was on her back lawn along with some light fur. Obviously he'd been in a fight not sure who with though as we subsequently found some dark fur in Roman's claws so probably the black cat who lives next door to that garden. No trace for damage to Roman though.
Tuesday
Roman was subdued compared to warmer days even though it was cooler. The tracker also has activity recording & he'd been less active on Monday as well. He also seemed to be limping slightly but mainly after he'd started moving from laying down.
Wednesday
Roman had been subdued overnight and although jumping up on to things OK was careful about getting down. So got him a 9:15 appointment at the vets. No temperature so no abscess forming & no trace of damage to his hind paw. Diagnosis age & possible increased arthritis stiffness on starting movement. So given some Loxicom but to be used when he's got a bad day rather than all the time. We weighed him at the vets & he was 3.2Kg which I couldn't believe (he's normally 5.6 kg) so the reset the scales & this time he was 5.26Kg Last time he'd been weighed he was 5.35 so no issues - summer he always slims down. Gave him a dose of Loxicom (to 4Kg as prescribed).
Wednesday evening
As related in the chit-chat thread post
yourpetforums.co.uk/post/152528/thread
we'd had a power cut late evening so had to get the cats into a house which was in complete darkness with only torches for light. Osiris came in easily but Roman who was only in the garden backing on to us wasn't obliging - I susect the party that was going on in the garden of the adjacent house (they share our boundary). Anyway walked around to that close & at least he came to the bleep. We then proceeded to have slow walk back home - intermittent stops on route. He seemed wary of some surfaces so that might be a knock on from Monday. He did it again when we got home, went round the back rather than the front door. My Oh had shut the other cats in rooms so that they couldn't sneak out when I got home which was in darkness still so was able to go in & let Roman in the back.
Osiris & Roman were unsettled by the house in darkness - although it is normally so overnight - & were particularly wary of the LED small torch we had but not so worried, although not happy, with the large (older) torch which had much more of normal bulb coloured light. We went to bed but Roman wasn't happy about going upstairs with me using the LED torch, he eventually came up but settled a couple of steps down from the top. It was just a case of things not being normal. Roman was always a very confident cat but does seem more wary of things these days. He's believed to be 14 this year so I suspect age is playing a bit of part in his reaction.
We'll have to see what happens tonight.
Saturday
my OH was away. Roman was late coming in so went looking for where his tracker told me he was, of course Osiris came with me. Found him where expected & we all started walking home. Then part way up the road he saw a car with doors open with either people getting in or out. Roman stopped & turned tail back to where he'd been & refused to be caught. Eventually he started back in the right direction but instead of going up the pavement he went along a path in a garden which runs behind a shrubbery which is next to the pavement. Towards the end he finally bounced out of the shrubbery quite cheerfully, took a couple of steps then seemed to stretch/shake his weaker (cruciate op & achilles tendon part stretched) hind leg, 3 leg hopped a few steps then a couple of 4 legged paces before repeating the 3 legged walk. He wouldn't let me catch him & did this mix of strides all the way home! I wondered if he'd damaged his leg again - I've been thinking its getting weaker on occasions recently. Anyway got home Osiris came in the front but Roman insisted on going round the back. At least then I could corner him as I opened the back door into the utility with the next door closed. Well it wasn't his hind leg as I realised something was sticking out of his paw (between the pads) & removed it.
20180708_002307 by osiriscat, on Flickr
Obviously picked up in the dry undergrowth as he came out the shrubbery. Couldn't see anything left in his paw although it does seem that one thorn was missing but hopefully that was broken off on the ground.
Monday
Around teatime, through the kitchen window, I saw Roman on the decking around the summerhouse, just appearing from the shaded part (hidden from view from the window) & thought he's coming in for tea. I then did a double take as realised no collar & realise it wasn't Roman but the ginger tom which may or may not be a stray. Roman was happily ensconced on a chair in the summerhouse. The back door was open so I suspect the ginger heard my surprised comment & retreated & must have gone over the fence. Roman stirred & then I realised he actually didn't have his collar!!! Tracker called into action & it said Roan (i.e. tracker) was in the back garden of a neighbour 2 doors down. Headed down there & the Loc8tor bleeper confirmed it was in that area & yes it was on her back lawn along with some light fur. Obviously he'd been in a fight not sure who with though as we subsequently found some dark fur in Roman's claws so probably the black cat who lives next door to that garden. No trace for damage to Roman though.
Tuesday
Roman was subdued compared to warmer days even though it was cooler. The tracker also has activity recording & he'd been less active on Monday as well. He also seemed to be limping slightly but mainly after he'd started moving from laying down.
Wednesday
Roman had been subdued overnight and although jumping up on to things OK was careful about getting down. So got him a 9:15 appointment at the vets. No temperature so no abscess forming & no trace of damage to his hind paw. Diagnosis age & possible increased arthritis stiffness on starting movement. So given some Loxicom but to be used when he's got a bad day rather than all the time. We weighed him at the vets & he was 3.2Kg which I couldn't believe (he's normally 5.6 kg) so the reset the scales & this time he was 5.26Kg Last time he'd been weighed he was 5.35 so no issues - summer he always slims down. Gave him a dose of Loxicom (to 4Kg as prescribed).
Wednesday evening
As related in the chit-chat thread post
yourpetforums.co.uk/post/152528/thread
we'd had a power cut late evening so had to get the cats into a house which was in complete darkness with only torches for light. Osiris came in easily but Roman who was only in the garden backing on to us wasn't obliging - I susect the party that was going on in the garden of the adjacent house (they share our boundary). Anyway walked around to that close & at least he came to the bleep. We then proceeded to have slow walk back home - intermittent stops on route. He seemed wary of some surfaces so that might be a knock on from Monday. He did it again when we got home, went round the back rather than the front door. My Oh had shut the other cats in rooms so that they couldn't sneak out when I got home which was in darkness still so was able to go in & let Roman in the back.
Osiris & Roman were unsettled by the house in darkness - although it is normally so overnight - & were particularly wary of the LED small torch we had but not so worried, although not happy, with the large (older) torch which had much more of normal bulb coloured light. We went to bed but Roman wasn't happy about going upstairs with me using the LED torch, he eventually came up but settled a couple of steps down from the top. It was just a case of things not being normal. Roman was always a very confident cat but does seem more wary of things these days. He's believed to be 14 this year so I suspect age is playing a bit of part in his reaction.
We'll have to see what happens tonight.