Champagne Bob the invalid cat
Champagne
Bob was brought to us by a lady from Bigfork, Montana. She
had cared for him since he was a kitten, but felt she could
no longer provide the kind of care he needed. She hoped we
could.
We expected a handicapped cat, but didn't fully appreciate just how disabled this little tyke was until he arrived. He weighs only 2.8 pounds and cannot walk at all. His spine is curved and he can't sit up without help. The owner's vet did not know what caused the cat's condition.
We whisked him to our vets in Helena for a complete medical exam. X-rays showed his spine was actually curved in two dimensions and fused solid from the bottom of the rib cage on down. He had no hip joints. His chest was concave.
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We checked his blood work, tested him for FIV and FELV, and conducted an ultrasound on his organs and an echocardiogram of his heart. Amazingly, he passed everything with flying colors. We expected to see other kinds of medical problems, but there weren't any. The only compromised organ was his left lung, which was about 15 percent of normal capacity. This explained why he usually lays on his left side, to allow his right lung to breathe freely with no pressure on that side of his chest.
By the end of the second day in the hospital, our vet team finally had the diagnosis: this little cat suffered from an extremely rare genetic skeletal disorder called Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VI. It is so rare that our vets - including our board-certified internal medicine specialist - had never seen this condition in their careers.
There is no way to reverse the damage, and cats with the disease normally live only 2 or 3 years. Champagne Bob is 5 years old, so he is already an exceptional case.
The key question for us and our vets was this: Is he suffering? Is he in pain? The conclusion: No, he's not. He might have some discomfort, but he gives no indication of being in pain. On the contrary, this tiny cat has an extraordinary zest for life. He lives to be loved. He purrs loudly when cuddled, lifts up his head to be petted, and scoots around on his bed so he can be closer to you. He grabs your fingers with his front paws when you reach for him so he can pull your hand towards him.
And he has a ferocious appetite. When he thinks it's time to eat, he lets you know by scratching his bed and making a loud, funny-sounding noise that is impossible to describe. It's not a meow. When he eats, he attacks his food like he thinks it's trying to get away, his small head bobbing back and forth. When he sees us come into the room, he props himself up on the side of his bed and makes that same sound, his little mouth open as far as it can go, greeting us happily.
To us, that is the most incredible thing about him: despite his severe disability, he takes such pleasure in life. The natural thing is to look at him and take pity, but he doesn't want pity. He just wants plenty of love … and a good meal!
So we made a commitment to this tiny cat that we would not give up on him as long as he wasn't ready to give up. He clearly isn't.
