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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 23, 2015 16:02:47 GMT
They sound lovely. Great that you have gone for 2 black cats as it is commonly known that black cats often get overlooked for adoption. Everyone should have a black cat - as you can see I have one.
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Post by manicrose on Feb 23, 2015 19:37:37 GMT
They sound lovely. Great that you have gone for 2 black cats as it is commonly known that black cats often get overlooked for adoption. Everyone should have a black cat - as you can see I have one. Think he likes them because of Salem in Sabrina the teenage witch, lol. Its a shame so many people will overlook black cats, they are just as cute as any other cats IMO. When looking for cats to rehome it was more about their temperament to me than what they looked like.
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Post by pixiepops on Feb 24, 2015 9:41:07 GMT
They are about 3 years old, both black (my husband really wanted black cats). Have decided to rename them as thought new start, new names. Have gone with Dexter and Ryan (after characters from two tv series we like). Dexter is slightly bigger than Ryan and Ryan has a small white spot under his chin, that's the only ways I've found of telling them apart. Just catching up with how things have gone only to find you have named one of your wee boys Dexter...Which is also my wee boys name! Grade 2 murmurs are at the low end of the scale so medication wont be needed for years yet and they will have normal energetic lives What I would suggest is that you dont allow them to have catnip as this can cause cats to go overly energetic for quite some time. Cats with murmurs, although will live a normal life, need to be watched carefully. They need to be able to be calm and be able to stop running around (which isnt always easy when they have had catnip) if they start to pant.
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Post by manicrose on Feb 24, 2015 14:22:25 GMT
Thanks for the advice about catnip. Have already brought some toys but none have catnip on them. I know how catnip sends my parents cat loopy!
They will be seeing the specialist tomorrow. Nervous about what they will say. Hopefully they won't grade the murmurs any worse than what they are currently suspected to be.
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Post by manicrose on Feb 25, 2015 15:34:48 GMT
Not good news. One has a grade 2, the other has a grade 4 to 6 and will be going back for further tests on Friday.
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Post by tonib on Feb 26, 2015 1:06:44 GMT
Sorry to hear the results manicrose, hope you can get more info from Friday's tests
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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 26, 2015 10:21:37 GMT
That's sad news - I hope it sounds more promising on Friday.
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Post by manicrose on Feb 26, 2015 14:15:30 GMT
Didn't want to write to much yesterday as was too upset. One has a grade 2 murmur as expected and the other is somewhere from a grade 4 to 6, higher than expected. Really didn't think it would be that high. The specialist didn't have enough time to perform all the tests so they are going back Friday.
Am really worried for what this might mean. If it's a grade 6 and the cat is going to require medication or further treatment then I'm not sure we can adopt. I can't see us getting it covered on any insurance as it will be classed as pre existing and we can afford huge vets bills on a regular basis (hence why we need to get insurance). Plus if it's a grade 6 I'm worried we won't get long with the cat. I used to keep rats and loved them to pieces but their short lifespan broke my heart. I would lose one every few months it seemed so when my last one went I decided not to get anymore and look for a pet that should have a longer lifespan. I know illness can strike a pet at anytime and there is no guarantee of how long they will live but it would be good to have a pet where I have a better chance of a longer lifespan.
I feel awful for considering not adopting these cats and am hoping desperately that the results on Friday show the murmur is not as severe as they currently think.
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Post by pixiepops on Feb 27, 2015 10:53:36 GMT
I am sorry to hear that one murmur is higher than the other but it really could still be nothing. My boys murmur was a grade 5 to begin with and it was found that the higher grade was only due to him being overly stressed with vet visits. Because of that stress, which obviously caused his heart to beat faster, it did not give a true sound. His murmur was graded as being a 2 after he was put under for his snip and chip and ultrasound.
I really do hope there is good news for you. The heart conditions would never be covered by insurance in both cats regardless of the grade of murmur and any conditions caused by the heart conditions would not be covered either. I think you are being responsible by considering not to adopt them as you have identified that you would not be able to afford high vet bills. A lot of people get a cat, or any pet, and dont think about the potential future costs and vet bills etc. Dont beat yourself up about it. You will know what to do once you have all of the facts and all tests have been done.
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Post by cia on Feb 27, 2015 11:22:37 GMT
I couldnt agree more with Pixiebobs. Take care.
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Post by lotsofcats on Feb 27, 2015 13:14:06 GMT
I feel awful for considering not adopting these cats and am hoping desperately that the results on Friday show the murmur is not as severe as they currently think. Don't feel bad about it - hopefully today's results will be more positive. Let us know what the outcome is and what you decide to do.
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Post by manicrose on Feb 27, 2015 19:26:46 GMT
Things seem a little better today. The cat that was graded a 4-6 is now a 4 after various scans and tests. Apparently one part of the heart wall is bulging but the rest looks fine. The fact that the rest looks fine seemed to be taken as a good sign by the vet. She has offered to do a free consult so I can ask her any questions and get more info (at the moment all the info has been relayed through the cats protection branch). Am going to see her Wednesday morning and will make a decision then. She says everything else is fine with them healthwise.
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Post by smilesbetter on Feb 27, 2015 19:34:39 GMT
Sorry to hear that one has a worse murmur than the other, hope it is treatable.
My cat back home (who has now gone missing unfortunately) Bramble had a heart murmur, she always had it since she was a kitten and it never seemed to cause her any issues, she lived a completely normal and medication free life. I assume that hers was a grade 2 or lower then but the vet didn't suggest getting her tested or anything anyway. I can't speak for her now though as she took a dislike to my dog and never came home afterwards, but certainly in all the years we had her there was never an issue. She also had a scratcher with catnip on it and it never caused an issue, it made her more relaxed than anything though.
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Post by pixiepops on Feb 28, 2015 0:03:31 GMT
manicrose Did they mention at all why it was bulging? That sounds like what my wee boy has and it is really nothing to worry about for now. His left ventrical wall is thicker (which would explain the bulge) which is what caused the murmur and the need for the heart to work a little harder pumping blood around the body.
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Post by tonib on Feb 28, 2015 2:15:54 GMT
As to the insurance issue manicrose, although the heart condition & any associated problems would not be covered other illness & accidents would be. It could also be worth asking if CP would continue paying for any on-going medication & treatment for the heart condition as some rescues offer this. Fingers crossed for you & the 2 cats.
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