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Does anyone have info on strokes in cats?

Answer by serette
Submitted on 12/1/2003
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strokes in cats: my cat was just diagosed over the weekend as suffering a stroke. it happened so quickly im hoping maybe this will help even a little bit. she woke us up two nights ago, making the weirdest noise, at first we thought she was trying to get a hairball up, but then she started to go around in circles. needless to say we took her to the emergency vet. they took all sorts of tests and now it is two days later, she has eaten nothing but the iv they gave her. as far as going to the bathroom, they said she went but i think she went on the towel we had in her cage. took her to our regular vet this morning. unfortunately our precious baby would have had to live a very sad quality of life. the vet advised it best to put her down, and since i trust his judgment completely did as he suggested. it was one of the hardest things i have ever had to face. but this isnt about we humans, to have her life prolonged for my own selfish reasons because i didnt want to suffer and hurt just wouldnt be fair to her. she gave us years of smiles, so the very least i could do was let her go peacefully. i hope your car never has a stroke, in fact i didnt know they were capable of such a thing, but if and when it happens to your companion, please think of your pet only and not of yourself. may you have a thousand years of purrs from your faithful pet and god bless

Answer by orca
Submitted on 1/10/2004
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i had to have my cat put to sleep just last night it was very quick he lost his barrings he could not stand up or keep his balance he was very disorientated my vet said he thought it best to have him put to sleep it was so sad i had him for 14 years and this stroke happened so quick and without warning so within hours of his stroke he has been layed to rest i will miss him so much but i no i have done the right thing and he was purring even when they put the needle in him i just told him i loved him and said sorry and goodbye then he went to sleep the only thing was his veins had collapsed so they had to go in through his chest i cant believe how quick things went strokes can be so different sometimes they can have a good quality of life and then somtimes its kindess to let your lovely cat go to sleep hope this can help someone

Answer by lisbonlynsey
Submitted on 2/11/2004
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Our 7 year old cat had a stroke some time ago (we're not sure when) but we only realised when she started having seizures, which increased in severity over a number of days. We took her to the vet who then referred her on to the veterinary hospital to run a series of tests, including an MRI scan. The scan showed a small lesion on the lobe of her brain that controls behaviour (hence the seizures). This was a few months ago now, and she is now on medication (phenobarbitone) to control the fits. The neurologist has told us that the stroke has not been particularly detrimental to her overall health (it is not the same as a stroke in humans) and that they hope to take her off medication in the future. So it needn't be bleak, many cats do recover. Good luck.

Answer by Lesaintn
Submitted on 3/29/2004
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My Mothers cat had a stroke the other evening- however- Strokes in cats are much different than in humans- from what a few vets have told us. Cats can make somewhat of a a full recovery from a stroke in alot of cases. With some help for there human companion and a little time and effort you might want to work with your cat before taking drastic measures- specially if they aren't showing signs of pain. My moms cat woke her up purring at 4 in the morning, then she went to pet him and he kept falling over. His left hind quarter was lame. He used the wall to balance and move along, then a few minutes later he kept falling over, then pretty soon urinating where he was laying and so on. He also seemed very confused. After a week a some effort from my mom he is now, using the little box-with a little rearrangment to make it easier for him to get in and out. Each day another small improvement. Some also might want to make sure your cat doesn't have vestibulars disease, its common in cats and takes anywhere from 3 days to 2-3 weeks for the cat to recover - and they normally don't get a reoccurance. It has very similar symptoms that a stoke would have.- from what I have read and been explained Not much is known about the disease and it affects indoor and outdoor cats. My mom has really been working with her Cat. He is 10 years old with Diabetes but after a week is showing improvement - very slowly. He is in no pain, just needs a little help with balance ( relearning basically) and making sure he is eating regularly due to his diabetes. He is also a little more tired than normal. Just wanted to share this with anyone, before you took drastic measures to make sure you knew others have had cats recover. You cat might just need a little extra care from you.... Hope this helps someone. :-) Lisa

Answer by SpoolFool
Submitted on 4/9/2004
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My 12 year old cat had what appears to have been stroke in January. We also chose not to put her down. I didn't witness the stroke, but noticed she was weak in her back leg (she has 3 legs since an amputation last year) and she was walking in little circles to the right. Our vet said that the circling to the right usually indicates a stroke, and one of her eyes was not focused the same as the other. She was acting very confused and it would take her a little while to find her way to the water and food. She was not able to get into the litter box. We bought a doggy "wee wee pad" which is machine washable and it reusable up to 300 times or so...it's a very good solution for this type of situation. She isn't in any pain and has shown some major improvement with steroid injections. Her appetite has decreased since the stroke and she has become very vocal. She is able to go up and down the stairs and finds her food and everything, and is able to use her special pet ramp to get up on the bed where she sleeps. If your kitty has a stroke, there may be hope! Ours is a real trooper!

Answer by CatsGalore8
Submitted on 4/16/2004
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I have a 16+ year old Manx named Bobbie. She has been with us since she was 2. I think she had a stroke this morning because she is acting just like my Chihuahua did when she had her stroke several months ago. She recovered in a week. Not sure about Bobbie. She has a lot of the symptoms as described above. She cannot balance and tends to stagger in circles. She is usually very verbal...since she had her stroke, she has not uttered a word. She does eat and she knows her name. I have 7 other cats and she usually hisses at them, she has not done that. She just stares at them blankly. I need some opinions on how long I should give her to see if she will recover before having her put down. I love all my babies but I also know they are not immortal. I lost her 14 year old companion last year at this same time. Any ideas?

Answer by Mia
Submitted on 5/7/2004
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Last night my cat of 9 years started walking funny. At first I thought maybe his leg was just asleep and he was trying to walk it off. By the morning he was worse, could barely hold his balance and his head kept tilting so I called the vet and scheduled an emergency appointment. I was so scared he had suffered from a stroke because he was showing all the symptoms mentioned in the other postings here. My vet narrowed his problem down to an inner ear infection and told me that was pretty common for Persian cats. Just wanted to let those of you worried that I would have your vet start with your pets ears first. The symptoms between a stroke and ear infection are almost identical. Hope that helps someone else worried about their furry loved ones.

Answer by Hannah
Submitted on 5/8/2004
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Just be careful, because that can go the other way too. My 9yo cat was doing the same things mentioned, loss of balance, falling over etc, I asked about a stroke but the vet diagnosed him with an inner ear infection. He gave him 10 days of antibiotics and told me it was a common and minor thing in cats. Coltrane seemed to improve some, but not completely, then last night he died. The worst thing is that he collapsed under the bed and I didn't find him for hours. He had vomited and possibly inhaled. When I found him his pupils were fixed and he was non-responsive. He died on the way to the emergency clinic. I don't know for sure what happened, but perhaps we could have treated him differently if we'd known it was more serious; at least kept more vigilant watch. I'm heartsick over my cat and the likelihood that he suffered. So... the symptoms are similar, proceed with caution, get a second opinion if you're not sure.

Answer by Mell
Submitted on 5/18/2004
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Hi everyone, I just wanted to share some positive news about this topic. My 8 year old cat had a stroke on Monday May 10 and was then attacked by a dog (poor little baby) I found her when I got home from work and her little head was tilted to the side and her third eyelid was closed over one eye and she had lost use of her left side - needless to say I rushed her to the vet unsure of what was going on. My important message here is that despite the fact that initially she looked terrible (couldnt walk, lost vision, had the head tilt) after two days on IV drugs (antibiotics and a cortisone specific to reducing brain swelling) she regained use of her legs and on the third day her vision returned, its now a week and one day later and i would say she is at 90% of what she was prior to the stroke. If anyone wants me to check the bottle to find out the name of the cortisone I am happy to give the name to you at it seems to have worked wonders. Last tuesday I felt sure I would be faced with euthanasing her but a week later she is almost normal - please dont give up too early when they have a stroke, give them 3 - 5 days at least for the drugs to work. If anyone wants to contact me you can email me at mm072@yahoo.com

Answer by Christine
Submitted on 5/31/2004
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My Shasta is 16 and appears to be having strokes. I've don't think they are seizures. He sometimes will make a yowl just before it happens. He will fall off the ottoman where he sleeps and trys to walk, ends up sort of dragging himself to another spot and falls over and curls (his back area & tail) in weird/stiff position. His eyes stay open and are dilated. It lasts about 3-5 minutes. If I am observing, I will coddle him during the episode. He purrs during this. When he comes out he lays there sort of disoriented. He will move slowly afterward and seems OK after couple of hours - although after each time, he recovers a little less. He has never lost bladder control and only drooled a little a couple of times. He generally will drink water after this occurs. Over the past year, this is occurring more frequently. First time I observed this was when he was a young cat (3 yrs old). Thought then it was a reaction to flea treatment. Since not home all the time, can't be sure how often it is really happening. Any thoughts or anyone similar story?

Answer by Pooh
Submitted on 6/3/2004
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Our beautiful 19yr old Tigger was diagnosed with a stroke last week after not eating, drinking, going to the toilet, losing the power in his back legs, not holding his head up at all and having a very vacant stare. The vet suggested lots of TLC and syringe feeding by hand, but warned us to be prepared to have him put to sleep in the next few days. Well, we fed him, watered him, loved him, and generally became his own personal staff... even taking time off work, but after week he is now eating and drinking on his own, using the litter tray, going up and down stairs, and has most of his wonderful, loving personality back. He deserved the best shot at recovery we could give him after the many years of comfort and love his has given my mum and I. I'm certain that once he saw we were not going to give up the fight it gave him the strength to fight too. Purrs to you all... Pooh x

Answer by jenny
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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My 16 year old cat was diagnosed with probably having a stroke a couple of weeks ago(its hard to tell completely without an MRI... which I can't afford). At first he could barely move at all and we would have to carry his food to where he lay and put him into his litter tray. He looked very sorrowful and I did consider having him put to sleep but then I thought "no I'll give him a chance" and since then I have been trying to rehabilitate him. I wont do anything for him unless he at least tries to do it for himself. I make him climb some of the stairs and will only carry him up the rest if he is completely exhausted. I wont bring his food directly to him... I place it a couple of meters from him and he has to get to it himself. And it's working. His mobility is improving and although he can't run or jump a great distance... he can make his way around the house slowly but surely. A couple of weeks ago I was on the brink of having him put to sleep but even if he doesn't improve from how he is now I wont do it. He seems content, he is eating and drinking as normal so... I'm happy with that.

Answer by Lesaintn
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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TIGERSMOM- You might want to check ---- Have your cat checked for Diabetes. My moms cat is a diabetic cat. Strokes can be brought on by this as well. Prior to this he was going through treatments trying to get regulated on insulin. Back in March - My moms cat was eating an unusual amount and losing weight. Try Looking up Diabetes in Cats on the internet - there's plenty info. Its common . We have had 2 now. Thirst goes along with Diabetes. Also do you smell a funny smell on his breath? Like acetone? Do he seem restless? eat alot but lose weight. They can go into to Keytosis ( excuse my spelling , Its right before bed) Very dangerous, you want to catch it before it gets bad. These are all symptoms. I would get Blood work done. Its normally not to expensive 50.00. They check everything and glucose level. So if kidneys are having problems it would show. Just wanted to share our information with you. Anyone out there that has a Cat that suffered a stroke- AS MENTIONED by another Cat Lover pampering your pet for a very short time and rearranging your schedule and little more effort than normal on your part is so worth it. Most the time no matter how bad the situation looks- if they lay limp, dazed, partial paralysed, fiestier than normal, not eating, they can recover in most cases. HANG IN THERE!! My moms cat BUBBLES looked awful, 1 day shy of having to say goodbye. Thank goodness she didn't! I hope this is helpful to you, Good luck, I'll say prayers for your Tiger! The only children I have are 3 kitties and 1 big black adorable Lab. And they are definitley treated like kids! Take Care

Answer by jenny
Submitted on 6/10/2004
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Update: I told on 6/8/2004 about my cat suffering a possible stroke. The good news is he is now walking on his pads as opposed to crawling along the floor. He's still very wobbly but I believe it to be a step in the right direction. however, I notice he has absolutely no feeling in his front left paw. He is also showing more and more of his old personality... he meows when he sees me head to his food bowl with a can of food and he hobbles his way towards his dish to gobble it up! He's sleeping a lot but he's 16 years old and in recovery so it's to be expected. I'm very happy with his progress. I really would advise cat owners to give their cats a chance to make a recovery after a possible stroke... unless they are showing obvious signs of pain or you know that you will not be able to commit extra time to taking care of your pet. What is bothering me most now is just why this happened. He isn't diabetic and has always been in good health... The blood and urine tests he has had the past couple of weeks have all shown him to be just fine for a cat of his age. I guess it's just one of those things! :(

Answer by Le
Submitted on 6/14/2004
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I just had my cat put to sleep this morning. He had been loosing weight--almost an once a day--for two weeks. The vet put him on something to stimulate his appetite and it seemed to be working. I took him to the vet on Saturday and he had gained 10 oz and was acting normal. Then Sunday, he was hiding under the bed. He was drooling heavily, had labored breathing and was very wobbily on his feet. He was interested in food, but couldn't do anything about eating. I tried feeding him his favorite snack and he took it in his mouth, but couldn't chew--he still had bits to in his mouth when he died this morning. My vet said that he probably had a stroke. He had been diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure when he was five and had been doing well with the diet. But he always had other things cropping up: asthma, high blood pressure, various infections. He had had an infection that didn't respond to antibiotics and we were going to put him on another round of different antibiotics again when this happened. The vet also said that strokes happen in cats when they have an infection and a clot forms at the site of the infection and then the clot breaks loose. I am incredibly sad about loosing my little honeybun...

Answer by ProStylist67
Submitted on 7/18/2004
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I have a cat, Cammie, who is a little over a year old. On Saturday morning she came wobbling over to my husband and looked so skinny! She had messed all over herself and the floor (she has never done this before). It's like she is losing weight by the day and she can't keep her balance. When I pick her up, she doesn't seem to be in any pain, she puts her little head down on my neck and seems like she can't get enough of me. I have raised this cat since she was a week and a half old. I feel so powerless to help her. She is eating and drinking like normal, but no weight is gained and her hindquarters look like she is starving!!! She had a litter of kittens about a week ago, (thanks to the male cat we brought in) and I'm almost afraid to let them nurse from her. This is Sunday and she is not getting any better.

Answer by michelle
Submitted on 8/6/2004
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My cat came tumbling in the yard tuesday I thought she was hit by a car. after taking her in the vet had told me that she was not hit by a car she had a cuturebra on her brain. which is a parasite that cats and rabbits get from fly eggs that nest around rabbit holes. at first i thought she was nuts! my cats whole right side of her body is non functional as if she had a stroke. so if they say its a stroke it just might be a parasite. its been 3 days she is recvering very slowley.and im wondering if it was a stoke. the only discovered that this parasite could go to the brain 6 years ago with fatal strokelike symptoms.there is treatmentfor this parasite but little is known because people are to quick to put there pets down. I have my cat at home tonight she cant do much. I have to feed her with a seringe,and give her water threw an iv.if any one knows anything about this pararsite (cuturebra). please e-mal me at autumnsunflower97@yahoo.com or give a answer back

Answer by Marty
Submitted on 9/15/2004
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My cat "Mischief" just passed away at the animal hospital where she'd been for 5 days. I'd agreed to euthanasia for the next day but she beat us to it....she was 8 yrs. old and had been in perfect health. For a couple days she wasn't acting herself - meowing loudly when she normally NEVER meowed, and drooling heavily. Yet she was eating/drinking/using litter box and had no other symptoms of anything. On the 3rd day she walked over to me, laid down and had a grand mal seizure (entire body jerking). I rushed her to the vet where over the next few days she slowly deteriorated and kept having seizures despite anti-seizure drugs. Vet said she was probably "throwing clots" which was causing strokes - her back legs were weak and without pulses, also her tail was very cold. I am still in such shock because it came on so fast when she had always been very healthy. I miss my little "lovebug" - she was the sweetest, most loving kitty. :-((((

Answer by red
Submitted on 10/17/2004
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My cat, Milton (14 years old) had a stroke 5 weeks ago. At that time he went completly limp from head to toe. He could not stand, walk,eat by himself or make it to the litter box. For two weeks I fed him and kept him cleaned. The Speciality Vet told me to move his legs and keep him stimulated and he would VERY SLOWLY come out of it. Well it has been 5 weeks and he is now walking (like a drunk cat), can feed himself and can make it to the litter box. He can't go down stairs, land on his feet or jump onto furniture but he's still with us and is such a joy. It has been an amazing experience to watch his recovery. My cat was diagnosed as having a mild to moderate stroke. If you feel your cat has had a stroke and you are patient and willing to care for him or her......a little time and lots of love is all you need.

Answer by kcmisty
Submitted on 11/11/2004
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I lost my 16 year old tiger cat, Boo-Boo last night to what I think was a stroke. It started with him losing balance to his hind legs. I placed him on the bed on a towel and he began heavy labored breathing and violent lashing motions, and screaming. It broke my heart. I could tell he was suffocating and his lungs were filling up with fluid so fast. He was choking, and I was helpless. Then he threw up a lot of foamy liquid and urinated quite a bit. It took only about 15 minutes from start to finish, and it was absolutely horrible. He was the most loving, affectionate cat. He passed away and the vet told me it probably was a brain tumor. I would hope no one ever has to witness what I experienced with their pet. LOVE THEM ALL YOU CAN EVERYDAY because life is taken so quickly. I am only thankful that he didn't suffer any longer than he did; even though I think he was unaware of what was going on. He was best friends with my dog, and the dog's been looking for Boo-boo all day & night. He will so be missed and is in kitty heaven.

Answer by claudia
Submitted on 11/29/2004
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My cat had a stroke about 5 days ago.. I found this site searching for more info. After 4 days she could get up,walk a little but nothing like she could before,nor is it really a functional walk. She is not inc,she knows when she has to go. The problem is,how can she get there?? And once she is there,how does she get into the box? These are issues we will work out together. She is very old..an very dear to me. I am with her all the way. She still enjoys all the loving. Before this happened,she was always up walking about and drinking and peeing.. repeat that over and over..haha. Her glucose was good tho when checked. She is eating,but needs help to get there. She is adapting fast and trying to steady herself at the food bowls. I am trying to get her to crouch at the feeding bowls..that'probably the most successful way. I truly believe she will be a walker again. But it will be more of an efforet for her. But if anyone could do it..Snowgirl is the one ! Claudia

Answer by Lain
Submitted on 12/11/2004
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my cat of 16 years experienced many of the same symptoms as those above, staying in one room, ceasing normal activity and personality, etc. After nurturing her for about two weeks, she was about 90% normal, and continues to rehab, adding her routines one at a time. She was left with a slight head tilt, and according to the vet this is normal for something called vestibular disease, which many vets refer to as a stroke. The inner ear experiences inflammation and due to the thread like diameter of the cat's blood vessel, circulation is temporarily cut off. I would think a good analogy would be a TIA in humans. Well folks, I thought you might want this additional info, the good news is a relapse is rare (per the vet) . Thanks for all the advice, Princess is about 95% herself, and that is good enough !!!

Answer by Emma , date: 09/01/2005
Submitted on 1/9/2005
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My cat 'Skye' was 3yrs old, when my mum and dad found him in the next door neighbours front garden. He couldn't move his back legs or tail, they had completely frozen up and he was curling up one of his front paws as if he had a stroke. I didn't want to take him to the vet straight away cos i was scared that the vet wouldn't have tried to help him and just put him down. So i looked after him til the next day, my mum even stayed up all through the night with him to watch him. I gave him some medicine from witch he had been given before for an accident with his back leg (a painkiller) as he seemed to be crying alot as if he was in pain. he seemed fine through the night slept most of it, but then come morning as someone has said above; he all of a sudden had a twitch and died suddenly. I still don't know now if there could've been anything i could've done better but you just never know what the best thing is. This only happened a couple of days ago and i'm destroyed about it and everyone misses him so much. He was so full of life, a proper little cheeky cat. Wouldn't let anyone dislike him. He was well loved and these things still happen. I don't understand it at all.

Answer by Ninja's Mom
Submitted on 1/9/2005
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I'm not sure if my 13 year old cat, Ninja has had a stroke. For 3 days he has been a little wobbly on his feet, not meowed or made any sounds, has a lot of trouble eating - he acts like he wants to then licks at his food for a second and then walks away. He is drinking water. Usually hides under a bed - which he never did before, but will purr as soon as you scratch his head. He has always hated the car and going into a kitty carrier sooooo much, I haven't wanted to take him to the vets for all the stress to him wouldn't be fair especially if this is just something he will come out of on his own. If anyone out there has had all of these symptoms happen, please let me know. I probably will take him soon if he doesn't eat much but it would break my heart to see him all stressed out when he's like this. He doesn't seem to be in any pain. Thanks!!

Answer by Boomey
Submitted on 4/23/2005
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When I came home last Sunday, I found my 13 year old cat Boomer on the floor, unresponsive and panting. Boomer was diagnosed with Renal Failure 4 years ago and I thought perhaps, the day had come. I rushed to my vet and close friend who worked on Boomer for 3 hours. After no change, I loaded Boomer in the truck and headed to Texas A&M vet school. Boomer was in ICU for 4 days and still there was no diagnosis. His kidney values and everything else showed to be perfect. I had a CTscan to make certain he did not have a brain tumor. The vet at A&M told me I shouldnt put Boomer down until I knew an answer. It was determined that he had in fact, suffered from a stroke. After medications and antibiotics I was able to bring Boomer home. When we got home I set Boomer on the floor and he collapsed. He was unable to use the litter box and could barely walk. I cried all weekend thinking I was selfish and Boomer was suffering. I read this website and saw all the letters telling how cats have "come back" from strokes. On Sunday morning, Boomer stuck his head out of his house and meowed. He walked and only wobbled a little. I was so very excited. Boomer is doing so much better and is now, able to walk, jump and do everything he did prior to his stroke. I write this letter to tell everyone not to give up too quickly on their cats after suffering a stroke. They can come back and be as normal and happy as ever. Its incredible---hang in there everyone. Love them, they feel it and will put up a strong fight for you. I wish everyone well. God Bless. Boomer's mom

Answer by Lisa
Submitted on 5/3/2005
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I put my cat Nermal to sleep on April 27th 2005. He had suffered a stroke. I came home from work and found him on the floor in the bedroom. He had vomited and had let go of urine. He was 16 years old. He could not move, had lost his sight and I was told by the vet the best option was to put him to sleep. I am so very sad. He was my constant companion since he was a kitten. I don't believe keeping him alive would of been a good idea as I would of been doing it for me, not him. He lived a long, good life. I just hope he has found his companion Tuffy who passed away years earlier and they are having a good roll around somewhere over the rainbow bridge. To those of you who are going through something similar, just know that by putting your pet down you are doing the right thing. Quality of life must be remembered in our animals.

Answer by Ms NEO
Submitted on 6/5/2005
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I took my 17 year old Katrina to have some bad teeth extracted. Her blood work revealed that she had kidney problems. When I took her home from her "teeth" surgery, she began to walk wobbly. I took her back to the vet,who diagnosed that she had a stroke. I was devastated and cried for days. She is not in any obvious pain. I have adopted a room for her. She has a double bed. The mattress is on the floor so she does not have a hard time getting on her bed. She is a fighter. I have three other cats. She smacks them around if they bother her. She sometimes fall over while she is "defending" herself, but she usually gets up and finish her fights. The others sence that something is wrong with her. They don't fight back. They look at her with a "what on earth is wrong with you look?" and then go about their business. I would only put her down if she is in any obvious pain. She sleeps alot. She used to sleep a lot before her stroke.There is life in cats after stroke.

Answer by Janet
Submitted on 6/29/2005
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Two days ago my almost 23 yr old cat (I had to put his brother to sleep at 19yrs), Deutronomy, started walking sideways (mainly to the right), walking backwards, going in circles, and he kept trying to jump but would do a 360 and splat on his back. He had most of the symptoms described by others at this site. I took him to a emergency vet that was a complete and TOTAL jerk. He just told me my cat was old and I probably killed him by putting a kitty flea collar on him among other stupid things he said. I asked the vet if my cat could have had a stroke, this stupid vet told me animals don't have strokes. I asked the vet if my cat was in any pain, he wasn't, I got my $82 bill (kind of sucks to get charged to listen to an idiot) and left. I'll never go back there. The next day I took him to my regular vet who said that he could have had a stroke, but many times animals can recover. We did blood tests and since he was so old his kidney and liver were failing, so I made the decision to put him to sleep. Which was before I read the articles about strokes. I wish I would have known about giving him steroids, I would have tried that. Although, my cat was almost 23, I had him for 20 of those years. He was my alarm clock he woke me every morning - whether I wanted up or not. This morning was the first morning with him in 20 years and even though I came to work - I've cried all day. I miss him very much, I really just home I did the right thing. Many nights he slept next to me with his head in my hand. Bye Deuty, I love you.

Answer by Randamned
Submitted on 9/25/2005
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My cat, Malkovich, was 12 years old and he suffered a stroke. He was in pain, groaning, and was paralyzed in both rear legs, lost bowel and urinary control. He had been losing weight and throwing up previously, so we had a geriatric blood workup done. It said that his kidney levels were messed up, so the vet put him on prescription food, which he refused to eat, so we gave him his Iams chicken which he loved. Our vet said that the treatment of anti-coagulants would be hard on him, and that he was in a lot of pain. They also said that once they start to throw clots that inevitably it will happen again. I chose to have him put to sleep, not wanting him to hurt anymore. He was a lovely cat with a great spunky attitude and a chin like a lion, and I miss him very much. I never knew that cats even had strokes. In a way, I'm glad that I'm not alone. I'm so sorry to read about the others, but thank you. Ann Fanto

Answer by Mahara
Submitted on 10/16/2005
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I empathize with those of you who have been worried about your cats or in some cases had to put them down. Our cat (Willie) is about 14 and lately he has been losing his balance, walking in circles and having a hard time finding his food. He looks quite confused and hisses when we pick him up, which is very unusual. He had some kind of skin problem on his back, which we thought was just fleas irritating him but which has become quite flaky now. I don't know if the latter is connected to the other problems. We just can't afford a big vet bill right now. Does anyone know of an online vet who takes questions? I don't know if Will has had a stroke or not as he doesn't have the other symptoms other people have mentioned on here. This site does not seem to be too active, so I will see if there is anywhere else I can ask this question. Thanks!

Answer by fiatgirl
Submitted on 10/22/2005
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I just had my 16 year old cat diagnosed with possible stroke. She was sleeping A LOT, not eating or drinking, and acted disoriented when I picked her up and put her by her favorite food. I had just had her to the vet the week before and she had a blood screening because of weight loss. All was well but a little anemia. Went to the emergency pet hospital and they didn't find anything. Back to my own vet the next day and she was diagnosed with possible stroke. She had back leg weakness and disorientation. With hydration, she was feeling a little better - walking, etc. I'm syringe feeding her watered down cat food now, and will give her fluids every day for the next couple days, then get back to the vet. When she came home, she seemed more oriented. She walked around the house, jumped in the litter box, and tried to jump onto the couch where she usually sleeps (but fell). I gave her a lift and she's been up there sleeping for 3 hours now, except for feeding, and purrs and seems happy. I'll put her in the bathroom overnight with her own litterbox, food and water, and rest from other cats. Only time will tell what will happen to her. She's such a sweetheart, and a tough old gal who I thought would live to be 20. I'm hoping this is just a bump in the road. Cheers.

Answer by diane
Submitted on 10/31/2005
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I found information on this site very helpful as on 10/27/05 -we observed my 18 year old cat named Upstairs slumping over any time he attempted to move. We rushed him to the Emergency Vet after already observing that the symptoms looked suspiciously like a stroke. He stayed overnight, had a million tests ...and they couldn't come to a conclusion and said he will make a full recovery eventually. So I went from being so upset thinking he would have to be put to sleep - to absolute relief finding that he will recover naturally with no medication. It's a little unnerving not knowing the cause or whether it will occur again...also the bill was pricey over $1000 - (thank God for Lloyd's of London and Pet Insurance!! at least that takes the sting out)-and frankly covered or not I would have forked over any amount...for either of my cats: Upstairs Cook or Michelle Held!

Answer by Proud2baMarineMom
Submitted on 11/2/2005
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Our 7-year-old cat, Baxter, had a stroke last week we think. He was having a hard time balancing and his head was turned to the right and he was circling to the right. The vet said it could be several things and did some blood work, all of which came back normal. We had the option of spending over $200 on x-rays to rule-out middle or inner ear infection or a $1000 MRI, which we would have had to drive a few hundred miles to get, to see if it was a stroke or tumor. We were given a prescription for a motion-sickness medication and sent home to give Baxter some time and to observe him for any changes. He is doing so much better now. The constant movement of his eyes and his head nodding has stopped and he is getting around much more easily. I assume it was a slight stroke, and I thank you all for your posts - I will have him checked for diabetes. He is eating normally and using the litter box, thank goodness! I feel for those of you who have lost your kitties and am praying for the rest who are hanging on. Bless them and bless you!

Answer by Justus3
Submitted on 11/14/2005
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Our 1year old Cat 'Benji' came in on Thursday and sat for what seemed like ages staring at a wall. We tried to pick him up but he was unresponsive. Rushed him to the emergency vets to find out he had a temperature and had suddenly lost mobility, his hearing and his sight. He stayed at the vets overnight and came home on Friday. After antibiotics and some other medicines injected by the vet, he is making a slow recovery. He can now walk again, but has impared movement down his left side, he can hear from his left ear but is still blind. On Sunday he used the litter tray (first time since Thursday) and is now also eating very very well. He went back to the vets today (Monday) and they have done 'bloods' on him to get to the root of the problem. They have said it could be a 'stroke' caused by a viral infection, or a Tumour (tests in progress). He is not in any pain (we have been assured of this) and is happy to wander around (slowly) with his twin brother (Boots!), his mum ('Molly' who lives a few doors down) and his Grandma (Penny) keeping an eye on him.

Answer by ramaland
Submitted on 11/17/2005
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Hello. My cat Rama is 11yrs old. He was very playful Monday night, 11/14/05; but when I arrived home from work Tuesday, 11/15/05, I found he laying behind the Christmas meowing to get my attention. He wobbled to get up, but his hind legs were not functioning. They seemed to drag. His legs and spinal area were not in pain, but the hind legs were stiff, they could bend but not on his own. Since I found this site and read the articles, I think he had a stroke. I took him to his catbox and he quickly got in (dragging his hind legs); atleast that gave me some satisfaction of his will power. He also drank water from his bowl. But now its day 2 and I found him inside his catbox, he meowed so much to get my attention when I came home. He got in his box and got stuck. Well, my wife tried feeding him but he didn't on his own; she then did it with a needle dropper. She is also administering infant pain reliever, hopefully that helps. But now, he is just laying-resting; though at times he moves his head up and meows. He is hardly moving then the first day; very weak. I am so sad, I don't want to lose him. I cannot afford a vet for treatment, nor to put him to sleep. We love him so dearly and we make the days to come the most cherishful regardless of the outcome. Thank you for this website, its given me answers to his symptoms. My prayers go out to you fellow pet owners.

Answer by kmfirefightress
Submitted on 11/17/2005
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I just lost a 3 yr old cat today from a stroke. He was an in door cat only. My husband was sleeping (I was out of town) and he said that he heard this terrible sound come from him and when he turned on the light our beautiful Skeeter was unresponsive and couldn't move. He took him to the vet and there he never recovered, our vet said that he probably had an clot and it could be that he just developed it or it could be that when he was a kitten our shepard bit him because he was in her food and he had some head trauma, but, was treated and recovered from that so we arent sure what happened. We will miss him very much and he brought a lot of laughter and love to us in his short life time. Mommy and Daddy love you Skeeter, your black little nose and soft little toes will be missed!

Answer by M. Smith
Submitted on 12/13/2005
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We recently took our cat 6 yr old cat to the vet for a routine exam and dental cleaning. After we got home we noticed that his eyes had stayed fully dilated and were not changing with the light. After 2 days I called the vet and started to explain the symptoms, of him yowling at night and pacing back and forth constantly. She stopped me mid sentence. This vet told me my cat had a mild stroke while under anesthesia! We can not understand this because we have had the cat under anesthesia before without any problems. It is day 4 and his eyes are slowly improving. They are half dilated at this point. He is still very sluggish, but is eating and drinking normally. After a day or so he responded to our other cat completely normal. We would like to know if anyone else has had there pet suffer from an anesthetic related stroke

Answer by Rapter guy
Submitted on 12/31/2005
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Our cat, 3 yrs. old. Started limping on his front right foot, it got better. Then his back right leg was not working, and it got better. We found him unable to move by our house after being outside only an hour. His whole right side he was unable to use. He was meowing loudly. We rushed him to the emergency hospital, they told us it was a stroke, there was nothing they could do, and suggested we put him to sleep. They gave him a shot for pain, wrapped him in a warming blanket, put him in an oxgyen cage. He was so scared when they let us see him, pet him, talk to him. Then they gave him another shot and he was gone. I am in shock at what I have read here, they told us there was no treatment, nothing could be done. We trusted them, they said he was in a lot of pain! I miss him SO much. Now what? Thanks, Rapter'smom

Answer by casi
Submitted on 1/22/2006
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My 10 year old cat had a stroke just after Christmas. I noticed it when she was sleeping alot, I got her up to feed her (usually she gets me up at 7 am every morning and didn't that day). When she tried to walk she had that drunk walk, head tilt and kept meowing. I took her into the vet and he gave her a steroid shot. Within 4 days, she was walking normal and eating and using her litterbox. Hopefully she will continue her good health. He put her on Benacapril(sp? hard to read his writing lol) and half a baby aspirin 3x a wk. So far so good. It took the other cat I had about a month to accept her, she would attack Sheeba and hiss everytime she got near. Now they r best of buds again. Strange how cats know somethings not right. Anyone every heard of giving baby aspirin to a cat?

Answer by Tawney
Submitted on 2/27/2006
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I have a cat named Tawney, I have had her 18 years four weeks ago she had a stroke that left her unable to use her right side. Her legs gave out as well as her vision in her right eye. This happend on a weekend so I did not have a vet to bring her to. On monday I called the vet and made an appointment to have her checked out. After reading many of these stories. Vets usually recomend to put them to sleep. I fed Tawney with a seringe for 3 days and gave her vitamins . She is still alive and purs next to me every night. When God calls for her she will go, until then I will care for her she has made abot a 70% recovery. I am blessed to still have her.

Answer by SusanEngels
Submitted on 4/3/2006
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Our 16 yr old cat had a stroke last week. My husband did not put him down - his cat has had all kinds of other situations where he could have been put down, like a broken pelvis, and he keeps recovering. Anyway, he is recovering from this stroke as well. For the first couple days, he forgot where everything was, walked in circles, used the wall for balance etc. He didn't do any of his regular annoying habits, like creating a lake around his water dish, biting open his hot spot, meowing loudly many times once the house falls silent with everyone asleep. He also had no idea of who he was or what he used to do and was completely lost and scared. So I would put him at the food bowl, then the water bowl then the litter, changing stations each time he cried for something or I would just try them all. He never did pee outside his litter box, so maybe it was a mild stroke. Just a reminder to those with recovering cats - They can have a series of strokes. So if your cat was getting better, but then got worse, it could be another one. Strangely our cat ate well the entire time. Now he is 90% recovered, but we are not sure if he actually remembers his name. He remembered or else re-learned everything else.

Answer by Girslover
Submitted on 4/17/2006
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Hi, My cat is almost 19 and has had everything there is. Today he couldn't walk....nothing violent, but he can't move around normally. Took him to emerg. vet, not my own, who thinks it is spinal deterioration, not a stroke. I am suspicious though....he bit me trying to take food out of my hand and is holding his head slightly sideways and dragging one foot and one paw. He tends to turn right as well and sneezes too much. I am totally freaked because the emergency guy says stroke prognosis is not good....usually if they have one they will have more. However, his heart looked good in an ultrasound only a month ago and his limbs aren't cold (usually one would apparently be if a stroke)...and he is upset and a bit disoriented, as if we moved around the furniture, but doesn't seem to be in pain. I would like to believe it isn't a stroke, but I fear it is and that we are not doing what we should be for him now, on Day 1.

Answer by Daisybuttercup
Submitted on 5/13/2006
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I JUST WANT TO THANK THE PERSON WHO STARTED THIS PAGE!!! I HAVE BEEN AT A COMPLETE LOSS FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THIS AFFLICTION! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I have a message for anyone else wondering what they should do. I urge you to wait before you do anything drastic. If I had taken my vet's initial advice, I would have let my "Beauty Queen", Miss Patches, leave me unnecessarily. She had what appeared to be a stroke. I found her struggling in the hall only a few minutes after I saw her on my bed, when she seemed perfectly fine. I heard a banging on the wall, and when I went to investigate, it appeared that she was trying to unhook her claw from the carpet. When I tried to help her, it was immediately apparent that something was really wrong. I tried to pick her up and she was stiff and rigid. I gently set her down, and she took a few steps then fell. She did not seem to be in pain, but it was heartbreaking to see her so confused. Her head was severely tilted and her eyes were vibrating back and forth, sort of hovering right in the center of the iris. She could not focus on anything. You could tell that her equilibrium was completely off. I rushed her to the ER, and since I assumed she was having a seizure when I found her, they tried treating her with an anti-seizure med. I took her to my vet the next morning, at which time, she did not seem in any pain, although still severely afflicted. She was very affectionate as I held her during the examinations, and wanted to snuggle very close. She even purred a little. The vet could not determine what was wrong, so she recommended a neurologist. But, only after she told me that she realized most people could not afford the tests, and that I should not feel bad if I had to "let her go". Even though I really could not afford it, I decided to take her to the neurologist. A whopping $3500 later they still could not diagnose her. They suggested I take her home and watch her. It took 2-3 weeks before she seemed to make any improvement, but she did slowly start to recover. She was not in any pain, and seemed to be very affectionate. She managed to make it to the litter box, and was eating and drinking on her own. She walked against the walls for at least 3 months, and would not even attempt jumping up on anything. Miraculously, 5 months later, she is much, much better. Her head still has a slight tilt, and she has to go a little slower and concentrate when she jumps up or down from the bed. She even seems a little sweeter than she did before. I can tell you this - EVERY time I see her now, I feel so, so grateful to have her. I am glad that I decided on the tests. Thinking back, it actually bought her the time to show me that she could get better. I really think the vet would have urged me to put her down right away if I had not decided to take her to the neurologist. This is the really STRANGE thing, which is what has me searching for answers right now: Another one of my cats, Bloo, came home today with the same thing. It does not seem to be nearly as severe, but she has no balance. She has been under the couch for a few hours. As I was writing this, she cried out for me and was trying to stumble to her litter box. I helped her in, she tinkled, and even tried to cover it, but she did a little flip flop so I helped her out and let her go back under the couch. I am going to keep an eye on her, and if she gets worse I will take her to the vet. I have a feeling she won't get worse, judging by the last experience. Miss Patchescondition was severe from the beginning and did not deteriorate with time. I am still paying for the last battery of tests that revealed nothing, so I feel sort of helpless. I hope I can get her to eat and drink. I'll post an update soon.

Answer by daisybuttercup
Submitted on 5/14/2006
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To Prostylist67 - I found a pregnant stray about 3 years ago. I took her in and she had 7 kittens. She seemed healthy when she was pregnant, but within a week or so after having her kittens she seemed too skinny to even be alive. She was very weak and would fall down when she tried to walk. She could not control her bowls and seemed to have constant diarrhea. I had to cover my entire apartment with newspaper for 3 months because it would just drop out as she walked. I had to constantly clean out the area where she nursed her babies. Poor things ended up with doo on them more times than I can count. Then one day I saw something about 10 inches long and white and stringy hanging out of her rear end. I FREAKED out!! I had no idea what it was! I could not afford a vet visit, so I called around and it turned out to be a tape worm - ewwwwwwwww! Bless her poor little heart. My mom's vet gave me 2 little red pills, because I couldn't afford to bring her in for a shot. I think it helped, but I did see another one about 6 months later. I haven't seen one since then, though. Keep your spirits up, because I really didn't think she was going to make it at first. Now she is SO FAT and happy. She is actually the fattest cat I've ever had. She waddles, she's so fat. Our initial try at cohabitation was serious touch and go at first. Having to walk on newspaper for 3 months almost gave me a nervous break down - ask my partner at work! She saw me cry about it! And if you saw my other post about her stroke, you know this cat and I have been through a lot together. I am so sorry to all of those who have shared their heartbreaking stories. I truly know how you feel. I hope and pray for you to feel peace in your hearts soon.

Answer by Twin Mom
Submitted on 7/17/2006
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Just yesterday I noticed that my cat Tigger who is only a year old was walking strange, when I went into the house to get him some water he disappeared and I could not find him until this afternoon. He was lying under the deck under some boards,I thought at first that he might have been poisoned by drinking antifreeze, as I have had a cat pass away from that. My momentary joy was that he was still alive and antifreeze kills cast very fast, usually within hours of ingesting it. My Tigger, I believe has an inner ear infection as he is falling to the side, seeming to me that his right side is weak or he just has no balance, he has his head tilted to the side but upon observing him for a few hours, he purrs when he is pet, he has an appetite, but he twitches his head every once in a while and his ear seems to bend down some like it is hurting. I am going on a trip tomorrow for two weeks and I am hoping that my husband follows up on this as I have asked him to. The comments I have read have helped me alot, I felt guilty going on my trip but it is a trip that I cannot cancel not postpone. I no longer feel as if there is no hope for my Tigger and that I will hopefully be reporting a full recovery very soon.

Answer by Snowy
Submitted on 8/27/2006
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My kitten snowy is about 8 weeks old. And this morning I awoke to her meowing so strangely. When I got to my feet and finally got to her she was convulsing. And her limbs where thrashing around. This happened between 11-11:30AM this morning. It is not almost 6pm. And she is still alive and breathing perse to the fact that she has not stopped breathing nor had a lack thereof having too much of a hard time breathing. She moves her limbs every once in awhile whenever I massage her back. She has reflexes. I put eye drops in her eyes because I didn't want them to get dried out. And when the eye drop hit her eyes she flinched. I am unsure of what else that I should do. She doesn't seem like she is in any pain. Should I wade it out for 24 hours and then decide from then what I should do? Please any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer by catpersonxox
Submitted on 9/18/2006
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Fish oil! Give them fish oil.* It is so good for humans--look up all the reasons, of which there are many. Our cat, who is 17 years old, has had 2 strokes--one about 1 year ago, one in the last few days. After the first one (which the vet did diagnose as a stroke) I started giving her fish oil with an eye dropper, about once a week. (I started just after her first stroke.) She had collapsed, cried, couldn't even stand, her eyes kept going back and forth, her head also, and she appeared not to be able to see, she panted and gasped--this continued for about 1 hour. We thought she would die and so gathered our daughters to say good-bye to her. But she pulled thru and back to normal. I kept up with the fish oil (I bought some bottled, but it is often lemon or cherry flavoured for humans---so I started piercing and squeezing a capsule down her throat.) But I have not always been very diligent or regular, and she won't eat her food if it has been tampered with. So, I suppose that is why just recently she had another stroke--plus being a whole year (how many in cat years?) older. Anyway, when she had the recent stroke--same symptoms as last time, but much worse--I immediately gave her some fish oil and vitamin E, both good for these things. The fish oil esp. thins the blood (read the info out there) and recovery can be much better with fewer or no disabilities afterward. After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, she was still alive but still her eyes and head were going back and forth continuously and when she tried to stand she could only go around in a circle before falling. I gave her more fish oil on my fingertip every once in a while. We thought at that point she was still alive but we might have to put her to sleep in the morning (this happened on a Sunday evening, and with her being 17 we thought there was not much point in the emergency vet .) We let her sleep, and then, lo and behold! who should come walking into the kitchen like nothing happened, but our half-dead cat back from the brink of death! Her legs were a bit wobbly, but her eyes and head had recovered from their constant back and forth movement. She went straight for one of her favourite places to sit, up on the couch. Later, she went upstairs to sleep, in our room maybe to be with someone as she doesn't usually sleep there, and even jumped into the bathtub to get a drink of water from the dish we keep there for her. I told her I will be giving her fish oil and some vitamin E twice a week, regularly, from now on. Read up on it--there's a reason cats like fish. Some of the oil preps sold for cats have some fish oil--they're usually for the cat's coat, but if your cat won't eat some each day in its food (mine won't) then the stronger capsules are the better way to go. (I did tell the vet what I was doing and he had no problem with it.) This is not Vit A fish oil (of which one can consume too much and harm the liver.) This is fish body oil--the healthy fat under the skin of the fish. Try it and give some to your cats (and dogs, for that matter.)

Answer by Jen
Submitted on 9/28/2006
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Last night my Skeets (17 years old) start running around the living room erratically. At first I thought she had a bug on her back and was trying to shake it off. She stopped suddenly and just froze with her back down like she was going to take a #2. Then all of a sudden she ran toward the sliding glass door and stood behind the blinds, staring out the widow with a fixed gaze and with her tail wagging very fast. There was absolutely nothing outside because I looked myself. She sat there with a weird gaze for about 5 minutes. She tried to meow but couldn't. When I went to pick her up, she let out a loud yelp/meow and I just decided to leave her alone. About 5 minutes later she "snapped out of it" and returned to normal. Has anyone ever experienced this? I didn't know what to think...possible stroke?

Answer by catsmom143
Submitted on 9/30/2006
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Don't know if anyone will see this since the last entry was in 2004 and it's 2006 now, but I found it helpful reading these posts. Last night, my 18 yr. old had all the symptoms described -- unsteady on feet, walking in circles, bad breath, she's been losing weight though eating, etc. Today vet said it's most likely one or more strokes over the last couple of days. The major issue right now is getting her to eat. The vet says there's no hope if she is starving. So far, no success. She seems uninterested in food. I'll give her another day or two, after reading some of the comments above. Thanks to all of you. . . many years AFTER you posted! Head bonks to all.

Answer by Catherine
Submitted on 10/2/2006
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My 16 yr old cat recently suffered a stroke which affected her sense of balance and mobility. She is being treated with the best Vetinary Accupunturist I could find and is doing very well. There is no need to put your cat to sleep. With care and assistance my cat is returning to managing well. Life will never be the same for her as her brain now has to retrain itself through a different path. Accupunture has enabled my cat to live a happy and contented life. I am told if the blood clot lodges in the hind legs it is a different story as the blood supply can be cut off (if not treated immediately by a Vet) and that in turn will be extremenly painful for the cat.

Answer by Alice
Submitted on 11/17/2006
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I want to thank you all for your postings. When I found this website my cat alien was completely limp, couldn't move even her head, couldn't get up at all, had collapsed into her own pee and had gone blind. Her legs were literally like jello, like there was no bone left in them. Although she couldn't move anything, she was responsive to touch, her Xrays were clear and the bloodwork was clear. I decided to give her another night to see how she was doing. The next morning she was even worse. I was about to give up hope on her and have her put down. There were three vets working on this case and none of them could agree what was going on. Of course to get a good diagnosis they needed to do very expensive tests.They thought it was a stroke or a heart problem, something neurological, possibly a brain tumor. After reading here about the Prediszone (cortizone) I suggested that we try it. The vets were not too happy about it because it can have nasty side effects. But they gave it a try and my cat started showing signs of life after only two dozes of the pill. (we chose the pill format to keep from putting her body under too much of a shock). Two days later she started getting up and eating on her own and the following day she walked and climbed up stairs. The vets said her progress was remarkable. It is now three weeks since this happened and she is doing fine. She can see, walk, climb stairs, go to the litterbox and is grooming again. She is still on the Predizone but is doing very well. But, please note, now that my vet has explored this case, she now feels the cat did not have a stroke after all. She feels it was a very very rare reaction to the thyroid medicine we had started two weeks before. This was a very difficult case for all the vets who have helped us and we were lucky they have been doing this research on their own time. Predizone worked for our cat and it really was a miracle. But it may not work in every case. For us it was worth the last ditch effort. I just hope it can help someone else who may be in the same situation. Need more info? alwriter@verizon.net

Answer by Michelle
Submitted on 11/17/2006
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My cat Sandy is sick. I don't know if she had a stroke or something else but all of the symptoms that I have read about strokes in cats she has had. I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning on Sunday for some reason. I think it was God telling me that something was wrong. I go down stairs and open the door to let my 2 cats Sandy 1 yrs old and a calico and Willie 9 months old out to run around but as I head to the couch to sit down I hear this weird noise. It was my beloved cat vomitting a pasty pinkish substance. I tell my mom but she refuses to go to the vet. I have stayed home from school for the past week staying up all night with my cat. It appears that from her ordeal she seems blind in both eyes, she only eats chicken broth, she is walking in circles, and she just now is using her litter box but we have doggy pads down just in case. My cat I knew was on deaths door. Her eyes were hollow with no life. I could see that she was fighting for her life. She could barely move and she meowed in pain. almost all of her limbs were stiff and even though she could move she tried to move and get out of bed. Now she can walk but like I said its in circles. My mom wants me to put her down but I cant do that. Not for myself but for her because she is getting better. Before she wasn't even eating and no she is and she can walk and use the litter box. I at least feel that I should give her the chance to get better. I really have faith that she will make a 100% recovery.

Answer by Andi
Submitted on 11/22/2006
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This info is very helpful, as my cat was lying on the floor not able to move when I got home yesterday. She's 18 so I thought she had passed. I picked her up in a blanket and she started reviving. I didn't know if she ate something or whether my other cat and she were having a scrap or what. I took her to bed with me and we slept all night together; she didn't wet the bed. This morning she ate and use the litter box. I put her on her favorite spot in the window on a softy comfy little rug she has. She seems content but doesn't seem herself. I will have a vet see her on Friday (there's a pet food place nearby that has a vet on Fridays & Saturdays who only charges $12 for an exam). Keeping my fingers crossed. Can't afford MRIs or the like, but will stick with her, whatever this is.

Answer by GordieB
Submitted on 12/1/2006
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I came across this Q&A while doing some research into cat strokes. I keep finding a lot of conflicting opinions on the subject from differing owner experiences and veterinarian advise. I have a few cats in the house, we live in a rural area and they all come and go as they please via a catflap in all weathers. My oldest tom (12) (bits still attached) had a bit of a turn last saturday, he came in and hopped on the sofa beside me and began his grooming, back leg in the air as they do. All of a sudden he fell over, I thought he had perhaps lost his grip on the sofa material or perhaps had a cramp or something. He instantly seemed quite distressed and tried to hop down to the floor and then tried to walk across the floor struggling with his left limbs. It was then I realised this looked a little more serious than first suspected. My first reaction, much like "Christine" earlier in this thread, was to restrain and coddle the wee guy. He immediately sat up and cuddled in and purred and seemed fine. It has been nearly a week since this little incident and Sprockett has been eating, he's bright & attentive, vocally cheeky as ever and generally himself behavior wise, but he seems to have lost a bit of coordination in his left legs and is not keen to hop onto the sofa anymore and this seems to be worse than it was earlier in the week. I watched him go out in a storm last night to go patrolling, he made it across to the house opposite and pooped then trotted of down the lane seemingly unaffected on his left side, but he still struggles to walk normally ??? Has anyone had a similar experience over a longer period ? He doesn't drool, he doesn't twitch, he doesn't tilt his head, he just seems to have lost some motor control and coordination. One strange thing I have noticed is one of the other cats, a cross bred farm-feral/highland wildcat keeps approaching him when he is asleep and sniffing sprockett(Sprockett has been the Alpha in the house for the last 10 years), it looks like he knows something is "different", could this be a sign of something diagnosable that the other cat is detecting?

Answer by help
Submitted on 12/10/2006
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after reading this forum i have a bad feeling that my cat may have had a stroke. She is 15 years old and for the last 24 hours she seems disoriented and all she will drink is water. She pukes too..it seems to be a white foamy substance. She wont eat however she does stare at her dishes like she wants to. Im not sure if she got into something or if its a stroke. Her balance seems ok,but she moves around a lot and seems to have a hard time getting comftable. She only wants to sit in the middle of the kitchen floor too by her water dish. Im not sure what to do because my cat is so timid of people i think taking her to the vet at her age would kill her. If anyone has any advice on something i can do please tell me. I cant imagine life without Tigger.

Answer by WhiskeyRose7
Submitted on 1/9/2007
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Our 17 year old, Shadow, suffered a stroke on Fri. night. She had been on thyroid med. but had lost a considerable amount of weight in the last 2 weeks. She was walking around in a circle, severely disoriented, & running into things. She had a blank gaze and didn't appear to be able to see anything. Also, she fell off of my bed. So.... on Sat. A.M. I took her to the Humane Society and had her put to sleep as well as cremated. She was the sweetest cat, and we miss her terribly. However, I knew that I had to do what I had to do. It is very hopeful when animals do recover, but in her case, I don't think that she would have. She was in such distress, that I just made up my mind that she was ready for us to say good bye.

Answer by Kat and Shane
Submitted on 2/17/2007
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Our darling two-year old indoor cat, Elwood, died suddenly on Tuesday night of what we think was a stroke. He was completely healthy and fit. I heard some odd noises downstairs but did not go down to investigate for a little while, I thought he was playing. When I found him he was dead. It was incredibly distressing. I rushed him to the emergency centre with my other cat (his litter mate)because we didn't know what had killed him and I was frightened that the other cat would die. They were incredible, and did an autopsy while I waited. All they found was that his lungs had collapsed - they felt this could only be from a stroke, or an anaphylactic reaction to a bite. We feel the stroke is more likely in the circumstances. It has been 5 days since Elwood died, and we are trying to get through the shock and grief together, but it is hard to help our other cat, who has never been without his brother. It has been comforting to hear others' stories.

Answer by Lucid
Submitted on 3/17/2007
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my cat Skitzy is so sick. i think she had a stroke a week ago. she's old, 17 at least. she's been wobbly on her back legs for several years now. i contributed this to arthritis. recently she has walked less and less. she loves her kitty heating pad, made for small animals like her. she sleeps most of the time. i thought that this is normal for a cat as old as she is. i started giving her some kibble on her bed to eat. once a day i would set her on the floor by her water dish. she would drink then somehow make it back to her bed. she always seamed to make it to the box to pee, the other, i didn't mind cleaning up because she could not push and stand at the same time. then one day, about a week ago, i found that she could not walk at all. i moved her bed to the floor. she could not eat and she was breathing funny. her eyes were running. i checked her for dehydration, and found out she was dehydrated. i saw her drink but i guess she was not drinking enough. she was so weak i did not want to try a sub.Q I.V., so i gave her liquids threw a syringe feeding method. she seemed to drink just fine. i did this often and she wet her bed a few times. i gave her some pain medication i had left over from one of my other cats. i thought she might be in pain because she kept purring so loud. cats often purr when frightened or in pain to comfort themselves. i was baffled as to what was wrong. i thought she was just old and tiered. i thought she might be dieing... i still do. she was so weak she just agreed to what ever i did. she could not chew food but she drank tuna juice and a little milk. her eyes stopped running tears and she got stronger, then she seamed a bit cross with me for saving her life. she was able to push my hand away when she had had enough. she was in a bright room with her adult kids, my other six cats. they were snuggly towards her, but some seamed to forget she was there and stepped on her. when i saw that, i moved her to my room. my room is dimly lit. thats when i noticed her eyes, that one pupil was starring and constant, and non responsive, the other big and round and looking at me. thats when i thought, oh she had a stroke. i stopped trying to feed her milk, although it was the only protein she could drink, because her breathing got worse. she gasps for air and wezes. i started her on some Clavamox i had left over from my other cat. i think her lungs are trying to fill with fluid. i thought it might help fight infection. i gave her a sub-Q I.V. last night because she was still dehydrated. she wets the bed rarely. i'm going to give her another treatment tonight. she has not had a bowl movement in a week. but then again she has not had solid food in a week. i know she is going to die... i'm just trying to make her comfortable. the last time i took a cat to the vet when they were close to death, the stress of the trip alone was to much for them and my Nebby died the next day. i think my Skitzy kitty is dieing even as i write this... you see, i'm disabled for reasons concerning my mental heath. i don't own or drive a car. going to the vet is there for a huge undertaking. i have limited resources. my pets give me much comfort... i found a vet who will come to my apartment and put her to sleep for $160. thats a lot of money for someone like me. still tomorrow if she's no better i might get up the courage to call him. her breathing is what is causing her pain. i found that a dish towel folded up and set in the microwave for 20 sec. then placed between her arms up against her chest, the warmth helps ease her breathing difficulties a great deal. i have not been sleeping much.... it's difficult to make a decision like this... to help her live or help her die. during this letter i have gotten up many times to try and help her... just be comfortable and not panic... and i pray to God to help me make this decision.. or take her gently in her sleep. she crys out sometimes and growns deeply. i give her that pain medication from the vet and make sure she's warm and hydrated... there's not much more i can do... thanks for reading my grief stricken thoughts... -Lucid

Answer by Lucid
Submitted on 3/17/2007
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Skitzy, my kitty of 17 years died this morning. i was lying on the floor beside her watching her struggle to breath. i had decided that as soon as it was light out i would call that vet and have her put to sleep. she started to have seizures, trembling and kicking and clawing her bed. there was nothing i could do. she died around 5:am. i held her close for a long time. my X-husband, who is a friend of mine, showed up about 10 min. later. i know her loved her to, she use to live with him after all. but he's a little bit cold in emotional situations. thats one reason we are no longer together and haven't been for 10 years. still he listened to me sob and vent my guilt.. such guilt is common i am told. i held her till she started to cool, then wrapped her in a clean white towel with with a satchel filled with salt and ground cloves. i put her in 3 plastic bags tightly wrapped with tape, and attached a message to God pouring our all my love and grief... then i put her in the freezer. my X had to sleep. he works grave yard. i was all alone and i did not want to be. i walked down the street to a trailer park. i know someone nice who lives there. an old man and his dog. i knocked on his door, he answered in his long johns. "i'm sleeping" he says. i started crying again. "my cat died" i say. "ok... alright" he says. i sit out side and wait. his dog puts her head on my lap. i cry more. he comes out dressed. "just a moment" he says. he walks to the back of his trailer and comes back with a cat. he puts this cat in my lap. i realize he's trying to comfort me. i almost laughed. he asked if i wanted some coffee and i said yes. he disappeared again in side his shack of a trailer. i looked at this cat in my lap. her ear was tattered. her fur was dirty. she had fleas. she cringed a little and purred softly. i petted her and i started to feel better. i thought about my cat and how clean she always was. how she had stayed indoors most of her life. how she had no parasites, no fleas, no worms. how many times i had given her baths, brushed her soft fur, always made sure she had clean bedding, fresh food, clean box, lots of fresh water to drink. how much i loved her... and sometimes i got caught up doing human things with human people, however, i always cared for her even when distracted by my own mixed up life... and i felt better. i probably made some mistakes, but i felt like i had did the very best i could for her with my limited knowledge i had at the time. most important, she was clean. not scurrying under cars and eating out of trash cans like she was when i had found her. i'm going to miss her for a long time. i hope she is sitting on Gods lap telling him all sorts of good things about me... that would be nice you know... thank you for all your comments here. it really helped me feel better knowing i'm not alone. -Lucid

Answer by Dan
Submitted on 4/2/2007
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My cat just died in my arms. She has been acting weird for the past couple weeks, losing weight, not being able to eat too much, and vomiting. I came home from school today around 1:00, and she was lying in the corner with vomit on her face and fur. She could breath, but not move.Her jaw was clenched, and she couldn't open her mouth and had the tip of her tongue sticking out. She had this blank stare, and I don't think she could see or hear. I brought her to the vet, my mother driving. On the way, she seemed to have a seizure, and started moving her legs and opening her mouth making a weird noise. Her eyes were completely black. She died in my arms, in the vets parking lot. I want to thank everyone who has posted here. My cat didn't make it, but I am sure your info will help others.

Answer by BB's Mom
Submitted on 4/7/2007
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My 21 year old cat all of a sudden changed. She wouldn't eat, drink and moved only very little. I noticed her leaning to one side during dinner, and her face did not look like my beloved cat at all. She has always been an extremely docile cat so when picking her up only to find her reacting almost hysterically, I knew something bad had happened. I rushed her in to the Emergency clinic where they did blood work and an urinalysis. I opted to take her home as I believed she would be much calmer with me than at the vets. I woke up the next morning to find her lying in her litter box. I thought the worst but during my sobs, she jerked her head toward me. I brought her into my vets that morning. Her tests results proved to be very good/normal for a cat her age. My vet immediately diagnosed a brain issue of sorts when her pupils did not react to light stimuli and also that they were two different sizes. She was kept in for two days and two nights, being re-hydrated via IV and force fed. Her blankness still continued. After two days, we had the go ahead to take her home. Her face and personality are back to normal. Her sense of sight, hearing and even her ability to smell have all returned. She used the litter box immediately. She drinks but her eating is very minimal so I am being forced to force feed her. Bottom line is , DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR BABY!!! Cats can and do recover from strokes. I have faith that she will be eating on her own very soon. With lots of TLC and patience, I know she will make it.

Answer by kim
Submitted on 4/10/2007
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i had a cat that died last night on 4/9/07 he had been fine and then all of the sudden he was not. That night i got home from work at about 10:15 and he had a accident on my rug in the kitchen. I thought nothing of it, thought he may have missed the litter box no big deal. Later that night he was asleep on my loveseat were he always lays and I was on the couch, i heard a loud noise and saw that my other three cts were over by the loveseat. Anyway, my cat Oreo had fell off and was foaming at the mouth and had lost all mobility of his legs it was if he was gasping for air and he was trashing around, he was never sick before. however from all the stories that i have read I do believe that he had a stroke or a heart attack. for anyone who reads this how do you get over this pain of losing a cat because he was a part of the family please help me to anwser this question on how one of my bests cats die dand to slowly get over it. Thank you for your time

Answer by Linda
Submitted on 4/11/2007
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Our cat, Squirt, about 12 had what we think was a stroke last night. We took him to the vets with his legs curling in and he appears sightless. One eye is responding. He is our youngest cat. Most of our have lived into their 20s. We've had him since he was tiny and bottle fed him. He was found in an alley crying all by himself. He has hardly moved all day. He was given steroids and fluids and is on meds right now and is just lying on a pillow - has low temp. 97 so we have him on a lighly warm heating pad - but we are not hopeful. His mouth falls open when we try to put him on the litter pan. No bowel sounds. We are giving him little bits of water with an eye dropper. He seems to be responding a little more tonight, but just lays there. Our poor little Squirt - We are just broken hearted for him and will keep trying for a day or so. Blood tests are coming back in the morning. The vet says "guarded" - Doesn't sound good.

Answer by dina's mom
Submitted on 4/12/2007
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I had to put my 16 year old Dina to sleep last nite. She had a stroke on 3/31. I was told to put her down since she wasn't eating or going to the bathroom at the animal hospital. i brought her home on 4/1. I thought she was getting better, standing up, walking..silly little girl climbed the stairs. but she didn't seem happy..last nite she developed megacolon and couldn't defecate. She was in alot of pain and the doctor couldn't guarantee she wouldn't have it again. So, I decided it was time to say goodbye. Her quality of life wasn't so good. At least I had an extra week with her. We were able to cuddle alot. She was alot less vocal after her stroke....It's sad but at least she is in peace in kitty heaven. I had to put my other 16 year old to sleep in Dec due to kidney failure. It's hard....

Answer by chris
Submitted on 4/19/2007
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Hello.. i just took my 1 year old female cat to get spayed. i took my cat home the same day as the surgery having been told that it is common. when i opened the cat carrier and let my very disturbed cat out, i instantly saw that she could not walk properly, her front legs seemed to work normal while her back legs were almost limp. she was pulling herself forward with her front legs and doing the "splits" before she fell onto her side. at that point i called the vet right away, she said that she "didnt think" my cat was in any danger and that my guess that she was still feeling the drugs from the surgery could be why.. i monitered my cat (which was sleeping under my bed) the rest of the night and observered the fallowing. Odd posture of squatting or lying with chest down, head extended and elbows pointed outward. but she was very much breathing.. and seemed to be sleeping soundly, at the time i thought it was the drugs and with the vet saying she didnt think my cat was in danger. i didnt think anything was wrong.. the fallowing morning, i woke up to her sleeping on the bed with me. still breathing well, i pet her and she made a meow in her normal tone. the same tone she always has when she is asleep and i pet here. so i thought she was fine.. i went to work, and came home to learn that my girl friend who was to come check on her while i was at work. found her in a very weird state. shaking and very disoreinted. standing with her head over her water dish but without drinking it.. my girl friend took her back to the vet. where the vet took blood for tests and ran an IV with sugar water thinking it was a sugar lvl problem. after, according to the vet "my cat bleed to death from where she had taken the blood from her neck, and must have had a stroke after the surgery (maybe during the car ride home??) the blood tests show her having a platelet count of 12. so.. finally.. after spending around 5 hours reading almost every page on the internet. my question. well two questions. 1)do you think my cat could have had Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)? and if so could it have killed her like this? could she have had this for a year without my knowing and showing no signs of it? 2)what do you think could have caused this? any ideas?

Answer by Missing My FurBaby
Submitted on 4/21/2007
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I lost my cat yesterday.He was 8 years old and had no problems at all that I am aware of.He greeted me as always when I woke and I petted him as usual.He jumped from the bed for me to get up and just begin rolling and trying to twist.At first I thought he was playing as he sometimes does but it seemed different. He followed behind me from the bedroom and my son noticed him limping.He went to the litter box and I watched as he turned and at that point had to pull himself from the box by his front legs.I still thought maybe he had hurt his leg jumping from the bed.I guess I wanted to believe it was a minor problem because I was so frightened for him. I called the vet and by this point in time he was gasping for breath and trying to twist his body using his front legs.I knew it was serious and rush out the door to the vet which is only two miles away.They tried to save him but couldn't.He had a stroke and the blood clot paralyzed him and his heart gave out and he passed away.I am still in shock.He was fine and within two hours time from start to end he was gone.

Answer by Delphine & Etienne
Submitted on 5/15/2007
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Thank you, Thank you, to all of you on this site who gave us hope! And if there is a Kitty Angel, thank You! Beautiful healthy Little Big Mouth is about 14 years old and woke up after the normal foot cuddling with a startled wild wide-eyed look, and could barely wobble. And worsened to the point of collapsing on the floor after progressing a few feet. Did not eat but if we took a tiny dish of water and wettened its nose, then holding the dish right under, it drank water. If carried it to litter box it peed. Stiff back leg and holding head as if muscle spasm in neck. It got too weak and looked like the end. After reading this site we waited 3-5 days, and on the fourth day it almost recovered. Eating with relish! We so grateful for it just didn't feel like time for us to let go - we are very close. We softly brush and stroke, praise, pray, thank, and massage, it really helps. Blessings to you all!

Answer by Giggle's mom
Submitted on 5/26/2007
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Hi Guys, Thanks for all you input. My cat just had what I now think was a stroke. Thanks to this site. Everything was normal until yesterday about 1pm when my kitty jumped awake/conscious from a normal sleep.No other prior signs. Good thing I had stuff in the way or she would have fallen from the table to the cement floor. Anyway, it was awful. The first episode was the worse. After I caught her from falling on the floor I just sat her on the floor and she went walking around in a crazy state. Seemed to be falling to the right and crashing into everything in her path. All the time leaning on the wall to the right side. Then all of a sudden she just started crying/screaming and her front legs went stiff straight out in front of her and head went to the right almost to her back, back legs I think went outwards and she just started spinning like a log on water. That lasted for what seemed to be 2 minutes maybe. Actually seemed more like a life time. It was awful. I couldn't even catch her enough to slow down the spin. Anyway, it happened again after about maybe 5 minutes. But this time it wasn't as bad. It was very bad, but not like the first time. The first one was 1 pm. Then she continued to have this until 7. Each time it got less intense. The last 5 or 6 ones, she didn't even cry. I was right there with her thru the whole thing. I sat right there with my hand on her and each time she jumped, I was ready. I put my hands on each side of her head and stopped her head from cocking to the right. I spoke her name and nickname and keep ssshhhhiiissshing, and telling her it would be ok and she would be alright. She is only 4 months shy of 2 yrs. I feel, after this wonderful site that she has had a stroke. I slept with her behind my knees all night so she wouldn't fall off the couch and as soon as she woke up and the sun came up took her outside. That was a good idea I think. I felt more comfortable to let her try to walk without the HARD furniture to fall into. She really couldn't move, but when she did try to get up, she just fell over. Anyway, she has made an amazing recovery!!!! I have been right there if she opens her eyes, and I think she is afraid!!. This morning she couldn't walk and her head keep tilting to the left and her left eye wasn't open. Well..I am so happy to say... after about 12 hours she walked about 20 feet to get to me watering my plants. Awful stumbly, but never fell. And didn't make it to me, but just sat down on her own. I really think that me being there with her the whole time had a huge impact on her. As soon as she opens her eyes, I can tell she is looking for me to be there. I think she's afraid, but instead of taking her to the vet and leaving her by herself overnight has made a large impact on her recovery. She is calmly asleep leaning against my leg right now. Her wobbly head is clearing, but I think it helped that I held it straight after the first attack. I just used both hands and sort of massaged her thru it all. I really apologize for going on and on, but reading everyone else's stuff really helped me out and I just wanted to repay. I guess what I'm really trying to say is, just be there and let them know that you are there and I truly believe it matters. I'm really sorry if you are reading this and you have gone thru the same thing I just did, but hang in there because I think my giggles is gonna make it. If I get a chance, and can find this site again I will let ya know how she is doing. God Bless you all, Donna PS, if you would like to know more about the whole situation, please feel free to email me at recoutlaw2@yahoo.com.

Answer by simon403
Submitted on 5/27/2007
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i was advised to put my cat to sleep last night by the vet. i was sat in my living room, when he came down from upstairs and wobbled deliriously into the room i was in. when he knew i was with him he just slumped on the floor, with his mouth open with slaver coming out of his nose and mouth. i was stroking him and talking to him, and knew that something was seriously wrong. i rang the pet ambulance which came within 40 mins. within this time, he stood up, took a few steps and laid back down again. as i was on the phone to a vet asking for advice, as i was stroking him and he was opening his paws out as if he was regaining sense and knew what was happening.about 5 minutes later, he started making noises unlike any other ive heard from him in the 14 years we've had him, and he started to do the commonly described fit type movements, such as rolling over his body sideways quite viciously. as he has difficutly retracting his claws, his limbs were getting stuck, making his body bend in some weird shapes. the pet ambulance guy asked me if he had ate poisen some how. but this was very unlikely. when we got him to the vets, he was not much different. he couldnt stand up and was really hard to keep down. the vet told me it was probably a stroke or a tumour, which had ruptured a blood vessel in his brain, causing the imbalance. one of his pupils was also slightly larger than the other, suggesting there was alot of pressure in his brain. the vet told me if it was his cat, he would put him to sleep. we discussd giving him anti-inflammatory drugs, but he said he doubted he would retain his normal, good health. taking the vets words on board, i took his advice and decided it would be best to put him to sleep. this was the hardest decision i have ever had to make, worsened by the fact the my parents are on holiday, and i couldn't get in contact with them to ask their opinion. after reading the above posts i really regret doing this. he didnt seem in pain, but was clearly distressed, however i believe the sedatants we talked about would have calmed this. i really hope i made the right decision here, it is agony speculating whether he could have made a recovery or not. had i been aware of other cases of cats pulling through, i would not have as he is one of those cats that never became old, he was like a kitten, he was my best friend. so i recommend to anyone in such a predicament to give your cat a chance of surviving, because i feel as though i have let my companion of 14 years down so much.

Answer by Connie
Submitted on 5/28/2007
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I have read about all of your cats. My heart goes out to them and you. Yesterday I had to take my cat the Animal E.R. yesterday. I was told at one time that cat and dogs could not have a stroke. So I told them that she was having stroke like symptoms because of that statement, and that is what they told my also yesterday at the E.R. Cats can have stroke like symptoms they said that are caused by high blood pressure, thyroid, kidney. ear infection, brain tumor, or heart. They found a heart murmur and high blood pressure. They put her on blood pressure medicine and she is scheduled for blood work to check her thyroid on Tues. and is scheduled for a thoracic ultrasound on Friday. Her blood pressure was 280/90 (average of 3 readings). I just don't know what to think now since all of you were talking about your pet having a stroke and I have been told that cats can not have a stroke. One more thing she can not take estrogen like all of your pets can since she has a renal disease(PKD) that is hereditary in Persians. She has made some improvement since she started on her blood pressure medincine, but she is still weak and can not jump up on things and etc. yet and she still sleeps alot.

Answer by melmel8202
Submitted on 6/2/2007
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I�m not exactally sure if this was a stroke or not, but my 2 month old cat Ocelot was sitting by my front door when I walked in and I had to move him because he didn�t get up. At first I thought he was just tired, so I just put him in the place where he always liked to sleep. A few hours later I was sitting outside my door and I heard him meow really loud so I ran inside to see what was wrong. I picked him up (from the same place I left him) and I put him on his feet, but he couldn�t stand. I always had to wet his food and put it by his mouth before he would eat it, so I tried that..nothing. I tried water too..nothing again. I snapped my fingers on the side of his head, but he didn�t seem to notice. After a lot of weird, head and full body movements, I watched Ocelot die (and what seemed to me like he was struggling for his last breath) about 7 hours later at 5 in the morning.

Answer by pam
Submitted on 6/13/2007
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I woke up this morning, Wednesday 6/13/07, to find my old girl Shelly, barely able to walk. She adopted me several years ago so i can only guess at her age which i think she's probably around 11 or older. She is currently taking altenolol for high blood pressure and lasix to relieve excessive fluid retention (which has helped) and an old heart. When i found her this morning, I went into a panic. She walks in circles even though she's really trying to walk in a straight line. Her rear end catches up with her front end and she ends of falling over. She tries to compensate by walking sideways like a crab. Vet thinks she has suffered a stroke and recommended that i give her one baby asprin 2x a week and to continue with her other meds. As long as she is eating, drinking and using the potty normally, I got the impression there wasn't much else to do. She did eat this morning and her spirit does not seem to be broken but she threw up about 20 minutes after i gave her the baby asprin. Will have to talk to my vet about that. I stayed home with her today and for the most part, she has just been relaxing in the shower stall (one of her favorite places). It is a real struggle right now for her to stand up and walk around so i'mjust sitting back to watch and see how she progresses and try to comfort her as much as possible.

Answer by imlaupau
Submitted on 7/1/2007
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I found my beloved cat of 14 years 2 days ago lieing on floor and not moving at all. She would try to meow and that is all. I rushed her to the vet and he said her heart beat was very slow and her pupils were fixed and dialated. He said that he thought she had had a stroke. He said that he could give her some steroids, but didn't think that it would help. I told him to go ahead and put her down. I brought her home and we buried her in the back yard. I have been heart broken ever since. It all happened so suddenly...there was no warning at all. She was a wonderful kitty, she loved me so very much...there will never be another to replace her. She will never jump on my lap and purr ever again. I will always miss her.

Answer by Jinxy's Mom
Submitted on 7/14/2007
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I think my cat had a stroke as well. Vet could find nothing wrong and a stroke didn't cross her mind because he could walk. What I noticed first was that he was not as active, not eating and was losing weight at a very fast rate. When I realized that he was interested in food but could not move it from the dish to his throat as he did not seem to have any control over his tongue I began to force feed him. I used the food the vet recommended in a syringe and several times a day we would have a little cuddle and I would feed him and give him water. He did not mind the syringe one bit, and after 3 months he began eating on his own again. He is able to purr and meow again and can jump up on the bed again. His personality has changed, but he seems to be happy and healthy.

Answer by Sprouts mum
Submitted on 7/18/2007
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My 12 year old Siamese cat Sprout had what I suspect to be a stroke yesterday afternoon. She wet on the floor and then collapsed, she was totally dis oriented and could not hold her head up. After 20 minutes or so she seemed to have calmed down although she could not walk without falling to the side. She slept for half an hour and was then sick. My husband decided not to keep the vets appointment I had made because she looked fine after a few hours and she hungrily ate some soft food and was drinking and using the litter tray. This morning 18/7/07, she is alert and eating and drinking as normal, still walking to one side with weakness down the right of her body and a wobbly head but thinks look encouraging. I think if your cat has had what you think is a stroke and is not in severe pain or obviously at deaths door, just give them a few hours and see what happens, I think with elderly cats especially, that sometimes vets are too quick to suggest euthanasia, after all the owner knows their darling pets best. Saying all that we would not hesitate to do the right thing if she deteriorates but at the moment she seems to be settled and as happy as she can be and is being well looked after by my other 2 cats. Fingers and all other digits crossed.

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Question by Rascal
Submitted on 10/13/2003
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Does anyone have info on strokes in cats?

Answer by ATIRZOO
Submitted on 3/22/2004
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The other night Solo our six year old female cat started screaming, running crazy, into walls etc...lost control of her bowels and bladder. Vet said she had a stroke. She is paralyzed on her left side and her left eye appears to be sightless. Vet says she might slowly recover. Don't know what to do. She doesn't appear to be in pain and the sightlessness I can deal with. She is still at Vet's but what quality of life will she have if she cannot move around. She is a cat that hates all cats and is only tolerant of me. But like all they are loved. Never knew cats could have strokes, knew seizures but not strokes.

Answer by ATIRZOO
Submitted on 4/1/2004
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Bringing you up to date on Solo who had a stroke about two weeks ago. She is home from the vets and on a low dosage of steroids for ten days. She is walking. Very slowly and swaying. She is eating, drinking and using the litter pan. She is very frightened but I keep her with me and she is very slowly getting back to normal. Only problem seems to be with her left eye. She is not seeing well. But we can live with that. Hope she continues to improve.

Answer by John
Submitted on 4/29/2004
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7 year old cat had a stroke this week. Same symptons as above note. Vet gave her cortizone pills for 2 days, brought her home and 75% recovered. Cortizone seemed to work wonders.

Answer by atirzoo
Submitted on 5/10/2004
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Wrote before about Solo having a stroke. She had improved but suddenly she seems to be going backward. She just lies still and has a terrible dazed look in her eyes. Took her to the Vet. He said she would probably never be the same after the stroke but that she was in no pain. She does drag herself to the litter box and I bring her her food and keep her quiet in my room but the look in her eyes is so sad that it breaks my heart. Maybe tomorrow she will be feeling better and start walking around a little again.

Answer by ozbod
Submitted on 4/9/2004
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I had to have my 12 year old little boy put to sleep this morning.I found him in my bedroom in his favourite spot unable to get up.We rushed him to the emergrncy vets and was rold he had had a stroke.He was very alert and could still wag his tail but not able to stand up.I left him overnight and the vet phoned this morning to say he was no better and had started having fits,vet said he was quite distressed as he is a nervous cat and easily frightened, so I gave ny permission to let him go.We will all miss him terribly and I just hope I've done the right thing.

Answer by Mell
Submitted on 5/23/2004
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Just letting everyone know that the cortisone is called Delta Cortef. My cat is two weeks post stroke and would be about 99% of what she was prior to the stroke - pupils are back to normal and she has no obvious side effects (exept she wobbles abit when she sneezes :)

Answer by RITA
Submitted on 5/27/2004
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Solo is slowly recovering. Only problem seems to be that she will not leave my bedroom. Seems to be panic stricken at putting one little paw outside that room. I don't really care if she wants to stay there. Wonder tho if any recovering kitties seem to be in unusual fear of something?

Answer by tigersmom
Submitted on 6/5/2004
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I was wondering did anyone experience their cat eating more and losing weight after a stroke? My cat might have had a stroke and seems to be having trouble getting food in the mouth is not working right. He has been losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Any suggestions and prayers for Tiger would mean the world. Hopefully god is on our side.

Answer by Christina
Submitted on 6/9/2004
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My 6 year old cat died from what I guess was a stroke because he was fine until he walked in the house and stopped as if he were staring at something flying over his head and then fell backwards. He then started to meow strangely and jerk his body and within 20 seconds he was dead. I was shocked because I had never noticed anything wrong with him before that. Although earlier that day he peed a large amount on my bed which is something he has never done. I didnt see him do it but I assumed it was him because my other cat hardly ever comes in the house whereas he always sleeps in the house. I was really surprised he died so fast. I really miss him.

Answer by amanda
Submitted on 6/9/2004
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Can younger cats have strokes? My cat is less then a year old but somethings wrong with her. I found her today outside her back end is really stiff and wont bend. But there aren't any marks from being hit or attacked. She won't eat and she just looks so sad. I've been searching the internet for links but I'mnot having any luck.

Answer by Hannah
Submitted on 6/21/2004
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I wrote before about my cat Coltrane possibly having a stroke after being diagnosed with an inner ear infection. Turns out it was neither. Necropsy revealed that he had an enormous, but benign brain tumor. The pathologist said that it was a not uncommon kind of tumor in cats and that he'd probably had it for years before it finally increased to a size where we were noticing problems. So... something else to consider when your cat shows loss of balance and behavioral changes.

Answer by ATIRZOO
Submitted on 6/22/2004
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Dont lose hope...Solo has completely recovered and except for the fact that she wont leave my bedroom everything else is normal...Took a while but did give her every benefit of the doubt. Now she is back ...She had her stroke in March. Hope she never has another one...Good Luck to all.

Answer by Louis's Mom
Submitted on 6/28/2004
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I think my baby Louise kitty had a minor stroke yesterday morning. she is the type of kitty that after 14 years has always seemed like a kitten until yesterday. I don't think she can see out of her left eye and she turns to the right when you put her down. She also is looking & snifffing at everything like it is new. I am on my way to the vet in an hour and all of your comments have been so helpful. I'll post our vet results later. thank you.

Answer by skermitt
Submitted on 7/3/2004
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my friends cat is 10 weeks old and she had a fit 2 days ago is it unusual for a kitten to have fits so young? don't know what triggered it of has been fine so far

Answer by nicky
Submitted on 8/3/2004
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Nicky, 9-10 years old just had a stroke recently (about a week agO) we didnt take him to the vet or anything he was very bad, but soon he recovered a little bit he began walking and eaing and drinking. But he alos lost feelign and site on his left side..could someone help me. i dont know what to do. i take care of him n all but i dunno please pray for my baby<3he is the best i would give the world for him

Answer by DezAray1979
Submitted on 8/25/2004
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My 6-year old cat Tiger, died just yesterday from a stroke(vet said). He was fine and had been all day. Suddenly he fell on his side on my kitchen floor and looked as though he was having a seizure. He let out a strange growl, curled into a ball, then straightened back out. All his limbs became limp and his pupils dilated and he didn't move. I noticed his heart beating very rapidly and suddenly it stopped. I thought my heart would stop to. It has been a great loss for me and I really feel for anyone who this has happened to.

Answer by cat_lover_26
Submitted on 9/6/2004
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My cat has not't been eating anything lately, she lost 3 pounds in 2 months, and now she does not't seem to have much sight. She also does not't know how to eat or drink without my assistance. The vet thought the weight loss was from cancer, but she almost acts as though she had a stroke. Do these symptoms sound more like a stroke or cancer? maybe both?

Answer by Jasmine's mom
Submitted on 9/17/2004
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This morning I noticed that Jasmine was constantly moving to the right. going in circles and rolling over always to the right. Purring but had large pupils. She is probably about 13 1/2 years old. We have had cats for 45 years and never seen anything like this. She is the most wonderful cat we could imagine and we were about to put her to sleep, thinking she couldn't recover. An hour later (right now), she woke from a few minutes of rest and was perfectly fine! I don't know how long she will stay like this but don't rush to judgement too soon.

Answer by debbie
Submitted on 11/2/2004
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I lost my cat CJ this afternoon. He was nine years old and a beautiful silver exotic. He seemed fine this morning a bit of a smelly bum but this afternoon he could not stand and his head was hanging.I wrapped in a towel and rushed him to the vets who only live next door. But is was to late his blood pressure was so low they had a job to get blood out.So we decided to call it a day. I cant believe it happened so quickly and without any warning.

Answer by janet
Submitted on 11/7/2004
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My cat had an apparent stroke about a week ago. He seems to be walking a bit better but has developed a cold. He is on antibiotics in the instance that he might have an inner ear infection. Does anyone have any advice. Fred is @10 years old. He personality is starting to return, he plays a bit and eats a bit, but nothing like he used to. Should he be on a different medication? Any words of advice would be helpful. Thanks

Answer by LBCatwoman
Submitted on 11/15/2004
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My Tuxedo Cat Jazz just had a stroke. She is 15years old. We noticed strange things, like she was walking in circles and appeared to be blind. Sure enough she was. Her blood p. was too high and she is now in medication (once a day). We put her on the med. three days a go and she is already showing signs of improvement. The Vet. put her on a low protein diet to help her kidneys work better. She is the sweetest most gentle cat ever. She is doing great!

Answer by Hope
Submitted on 12/1/2004
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Answer by Lisa
Submitted on 12/2/2004
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Is this site still active. Looking for some updates on previous posts. My cat had a stroke yesterday and is still in ICU.

Answer by Linda
Submitted on 12/6/2004
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This website was so helpful...As of 3 days ago my Skeety of 19+ years has many of the above symptoms - falling over, not drinking etc. He only urinates in the floor and no b/ms which has really worried me. He would eat up until yesterday and now nothing. I was trying to get my mind ready to put him to sleep but see there may be hope for him yet due to the letters above. Thanks all!!! Wish us luck - Hugs to all Kitty Lovers

Answer by patricia
Submitted on 1/19/2005
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my cat is now at the vet and they think it was a stroke. she has lost 4 lbs. in a short period of time and won't eat, drinking very little. has dehydrated two times, therfore, back to the vet. her right eyelid stays covered and the other eye appears cloudy. vet says atrophy on one side. she is vocal. only hope she begins to eat.

Answer by grinz
Submitted on 2/1/2005
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my cant doesn't open his right eye do you think he might of suffered a stroke i cant really afford a vet at this moment but as soon as i get a job ill take him but meanwhile can someone help me please grinz

Answer by Wendy
Submitted on 2/2/2005
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Tonight my 13 year old cat had a stroke..we are taking him to the vet tomorrow. I will not let the Vet make the decision to put him down, till I have given him a fighting chance..i love him too much to just let him go...I found this site to get advice...thanx so much..

Answer by Mellie
Submitted on 2/20/2005
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I think our cat had a stroke a few days ago. He is not eating, drinking only a little (it appears he is having trouble swallowing), wobbling as he is walking, and has another cat mentioned above did, lays down where he is because he doesn't have the strength to make it any farther. We are keeping a close eye on him, bringing him water, and taking him to the litter tray. I'm just happy to see that there is hope. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories.

Answer by duck
Submitted on 2/28/2005
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My 15 year old cat seems to have suffered a stroke.She walks sideways and her head is also on one side. She's a beautiful Himalayaan but her coat has lost all its shine and is very tangled; I try to comb it and brush it but I don't want to hurt her while she seems so fragile.She is still eating and drinking and using her litter box and she is still able to jump on the bed and climb the stairs but she often topples over.I'm going on a 30 day trip and I'm so worried about her even though I have excellent cat-sitters. She is so attached to me and I dread leaving her because I'm afraid she won't survive.What to do.

Answer by martyn
Submitted on 3/4/2005
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I'm 13 and my cat(whos 18) has just has just fell ill it couldn't move move its back legs and didn't seem to be in any pain. Obviosly we took it straight to the emergany vets and she diagnosed it had just had a stroke. Due to her saying after a operation she would probaly have another in the next 48 hours so i had to watch her being put down.

Answer by KL
Submitted on 4/5/2005
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my cat, about 14 years old, suffered a stroke a few days ago. i heard her crying from upstairs and found her with her head under a blanket (that's why i thought she was crying). but as soon as i took the blanket off her head she started walking in circles, tripping over stuff, and panting like a dog! we took her to the vet and the vet immediately said she couldn't see at all, she lost her vision. after some tests, the vet said she had a stroke and is gaining some of her vision back. ends up she also has a mass on her heart which caused it. she's doing ok now, a little wobbily and vision is blurry. We have to give her 2 baby aspirins a week.

Answer by Vicki
Submitted on 4/19/2005
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My kitty Sanchez suffered from a stroke about 2 months ago. He was very disoriented and clumsy. He couldn't stand and if he did, he couldn't keep his balance for more than just a few steps and then he would fall over. The vet gave him pretezone and that seemed to help alot. he gained back his strength and was good as new (without the faith of the vet), except now he had seizures during the night. But yesterday we noticed he was disoriented again and just wants to lay down. He can't walk again. I think he had another stoke. We will probably put him down this time. The vet recommended that last time, but I couldn't do it.

Answer by cagney
Submitted on 4/21/2005
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I had to have my kitty of l9 years put to sleep yesterday. He had been weak in his back legs for a year or so and yesterday he could not move his back legs at all. He was so hungry and ate well when I held him to eat. I was sad to loose my sweet boy but he had a good life and was loved lots. I figured it was a stroke.

Answer by Liza
Submitted on 5/6/2005
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My 16 year old cat seemed to have a stroke. I found him inside panting excessively with very dilated eyes. It looked like his foot was broken about 3 inches from the end. He lost bladder control. Took him to the vet, he thought he had gotten a claw stuck on his blanket and twisted his shoulder out of place causing the problem at the foot. 20 or so hours into this I feel he had a stroke. He looked so close to death yet I gave him milk and water through a syringe. To my amazement he met me in the kitchen. Then he went to the litter box. He still has the paralyzed end of foot but we'll see where Cocoa Puff goes from here.