Lora Lee 
A couple of weeks ago, Emmet had his monthly vet appointment. Since Emmet has been a year old, he has dealt with various health issues. At one point, we thought he had FIP. Nope, not FIP. Then, we discovered a mass in his GI tract and just knew it was cancer. Nope, not cancer, nor was it viral or bacterial. We were all baffled as to what the mass was. Then, we discovered that Emmet had a slight heart murmur. Last December, he was diagnosed with a heart condition. But, at his last appointment, we were faced with Emmet’s new health scare.
Something Off
For a couple of days before Emmet’s appointment, I thought he was acting a bit off. He wasn’t finishing his food and seemed to be sleeping more. My “kitty senses” were on alert, but not really picking up anything that would send up red flags. I knew we had his appointment coming up and decided we would check him out then. Once again, I wasn’t getting anything major from him. My intuition was telling me that something was definitely off, I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
On the morning of his appointment, Emmet was acting fairly normal. He was jumping on the counter for his breakfast and whipped cream treat. When I came home to pick Emmet up for his appointment, I noticed that he was on the couch. First, red flag because Emmet hardly ever sleeps on the couch. As I was getting everything ready to go to the vet, he did not run and hide. Second red flag because Emmet ALWAYS runs and hides when he knows it is vet time. I scooped him up and put him into his crate and off we went.
Completely Blindsided
Once we got to the vet, things took a turn for the worse and I quickly realized that the red flags were accurate. Emmet had a very low temperature and was struggling to put weight and stand on his hind legs. Quickly had bloodwork and x-rays done. Bloodwork came back normal except for slightly elevated white blood cell count. His x-rays, however, were concerning. Emmet’s heart was definitely enlarged. This was very concerning alone but add it to very low temperature and hind limb paralysis and we are looking at congested heart failure. An immediate trip to the cardiologist was our plan for early the next morning.
It was at the cardiologist that I was completely blindsided. I was already preparing myself to receive the news that our suspicions were correct, and that Emmet was in congested heart failure. However, I was not prepared to receive the news that Emmet was NOT dealing with congested heart failure, but that he had had a stroke! What?? A stroke?? My poor baby had a stroke while I was at school. I was completely devastated. This was not what I was prepared for. What did this mean? Will he be able to walk and jump again like a “normal” cat? I had so many questions.
Emmet the Excellent Enigma
We left the cardiologist with two new medications as well as some pain meds for him. Emmet was definitely happy to be home, but I could tell that he still wasn’t feeling very well. He spent the majority of the night sleeping in a cat bed on the bathroom heated floors surrounded by some healing crystals. The next morning, however, I could tell that he was feeling a little better. Throughout the day, he chose to stay in the bathroom sleeping in his cat bed. By that evening, I could tell that he was feeling even better. He was ready for dinner and even tried to jump on the counter to eat.
By Sunday morning, Emmet was pretty much back to normal. He was jumping, although still with some difficulty, on the counters for meals and whipped cream treat. It almost brought tears to my eyes when I saw him sitting on the counter, patiently waiting for his treat. My handsome boy was on the mend. Now, almost two weeks later, you would never know that he had a stroke or that he couldn’t use his back legs. The way that this cat always seems to bounce back is nothing short of amazing. Emmet will always be an excellent enigma.
Still a Teacher with Many Lessons
Emmet’s purpose in my life is to be my teacher. He has communicated with me, as well as other communicators, that everything that he has gone through with his health has been lessons for me to learn in order to help other cats in the future. Once I became certified as a Holistic Cat Practitioner, I really hoped that Emmet would ease up with his lessons being that I was now on my intended path. Apparently, that was wishful thinking. During Emmet’s new health scare, he was quick to inform me that he was still my teacher and that he still had many lessons for me to learn. These lessons would be needed in order for me to help other cats. So, I guess I will continue to be the student as long as Emmet is my teacher.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ― Anatole France
