Happy 16th Birthday, Caymus!

A month ago, I didn’t know if Caymus would be here to celebrate his 16th birthday.  I attribute him still being here to ozone therapy, among many other things. On June 5th, Caymus was diagnosed with later stage renal disease.  It came as a big shock – as his progression was fast. We started sub Q fluids immediately and he also got them intravenously. After I was through most of the shock and part of the grief, I posted about it on our Facebook page. On July 12th, he had his blood taken again and it had progressed even further. As luck would have it, on July 5th, The Two Crazy Cat Ladies had an interview with Dr. Margo Roman, a holistic veterinarian at MASH Main St. Animal Services of Hopkinton. They discussed ozone therapy as well as fecal transplants. Jena, a Floppycats reader, who had already been in touch with me about Caymus, offering suggestions and support, happened to catch the video live and typed, “Will it help with cats in renal failure?” – asking for Caymus. Dr. Roman replied to the question about 55 minutes in and said she had had success with kitties that had been in renal failure. After Caymus’ worsened blood results, I reached out to Dr. Sally Barchman at State Line Animal Hospital & Holistic Health, where Caymus was going for acupuncture to see if she knew about it. She watched the video and thought it was worth a try. So, then the search for ozone therapy in Kansas City began. I found many human places for it – but no, veterinarian ones. I was then guided to ask a veterinarian – Dr. Landau of Stillwell Animal Hospital & Equine Center, P.A., to see if she knew of anyone. She said she didn’t do it, but believed in it and would phone around and get back to me. Not 15 minutes later, she called me back to tell me Dr. Linda Faris at Northland Animal Hospital did it. I phoned them immediately to verify. They said they did and that they had an appointment the next day (July 17th) at 11am with Dr. Faris. I took it. By that Friday (July 17th), Caymus was bad – he wouldn’t lift his head, my mom was describing him as listless. If you’ve had a renal failure kitty, you know this well. I almost didn’t want to take him, didn’t want to put him through anymore, but we went. We went and Dr. Faris came in the room, looked at Caymus and said, “I would not have imagined he would be this bright and alert given his bloodwork” (I believe adrenaline had perked him up – but I knew what he was like at home, so I understood her comment). She also said that he might have been doing better than blood work because of all the things we were doing – Cerenia, Azodyl, Herbs, Fluids, B12. Fortuitously, Dr. Faris shared that she trained under Dr. Roman (the vet Jena saw interviewed) for ozone therapy. She suggested starting small with Caymus – 20cc of ozone therapy administered rectally – and to do another treatment the next day or Monday. My gut said to do it next day. Next therapy was Saturday (July 18th) – he received 40cc. After both of the first treatments, he came home and pooped immediately in his box (which is also good for a kidney cat) and then remained pretty darn tired – wobbly walking and drained. On Saturday night, I was crying to my mom and sister, telling them I couldn’t watch him like this for much longer. Then came Sunday (July 19th) – I went over in the morning to give him fluids, my mom had left a note, “Caymus is more ‘lively’ this morning – ate his food and acted almost himself.” After I gave him fluids, my parents were in their basement doing some work, so I brought him down and he wanted to explore – and I was amazed. I received a lot of comments on that post – hopeful, helpful and even humans that had received ozone therapy that said what wonders it had done. I also received comments that ozone therapy was quackery and not approved by the FDA. Then came Sunday night – I was messing with Murphy (Caymus’ brother) and looked over and saw Caymus cleaning himself. But it was short lived. On Monday, July 20,  we went for his third treatment. Tuesday night my mom sent a video to my sister and I, saying, “This will make you happy.” Video was of Caymus REALLY cleaning himself – like for 2 minutes. Wednesday, my mom caught him cleaning himself again. By Thursday, he came sauntering into the kitchen when I came over to give him fluids. He had his 5th treatment by the time I recorded this video (on July 31st) – and also received acupuncture from Dr. Faris right afterwards. Caymus started fecal transplant pills and many other things.  I hope to make a page on the site about everything we have tried with him. A huge thank you to Dr. Sally Barchman, Dr. Linda Faris, Dr. Leanne Landau, Dr. Margo Roman, Floppycats reader Jena and The Two Crazy Cat Ladies for their love of cats and their work!! I made a video about Caymus’ ozone therapy and wanted to share with you –  [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHoHG5u0ow[/embedyt] But Caymus doesn’t want to talk about it.  Some lady sticking her finger up her butt isn’t what birthdays are about (however, we are very grateful for her!!).   As many of you know, I absolutely adore Caymus.  He is a soulmate of mine.  He lives with my parents, his half brother Murphy and Parker (a German Shepherd). Caymus and Murphy came to live with my parents in November 2004 right before Thanksgiving.  My childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, was 15 at the time, and I had talked my mom into getting a kitten because of Rags aging.  We wanted a seal mitted with a blaze because when my Aunt first got  a Ragdoll cat in the 1980s, that’s what she got and we fell in love with him.  He was gorgeous. When I started looking for seal mitted with a blaze Ragdoll kittens on the Internet, I found two and started to email with the breeders about them.  When Caymus and Murphy’s breeder, Cindy Carpenter of Bluegrass Rags, found out that we had a 15-year old, she suggested strongly that we get two kittens instead of one.  She said that they would play with each other and most likely leave the old guy alone.  It was probably the best advice we ever got.  Murphy has a blue mitted with a blaze full brother, but my mom prefers seal mitteds, so Cindy suggested a seal mitted from another litter she had.  And said that the kittens shared the same father.  And that’s how Caymus came into our lives. My Dad, who was not a cat fan before Rags, was hard to convince that we should not only get a kitten – but two kittens!  As a result, we named Caymus after one of his favorite bottles of wine, Caymus.

I can tell you though – 16 years later, Caymus is such a Caymus.  He could have no other name – well, other than my plethora of nicknames – Newy, NUSS!, Cay-cay-newin’, etc.  I call him Newy mostly these days. Caymus’ coat is the breed description for a Ragdoll cat – it is plush, doesn’t mat, feels divinely luxurious.  Even with his kidneys failing, he still has a decent looking coat (many “kidney cats” have clumpy coats and his can go in and out of clumpy). He is heavenly to touch – and he also fits the breed stereotype when you pick him up – he is limp like a Ragdoll (unless he is stressed about something) and DEFINITELY requires a two handed pick up, otherwise he will fall out of your one hand. Caymus has been going to two new veterinarians in the last two months – ones he had never seen before and they both are AMAZED by what a wonderful patient he is.  One wanted us to bring him in just because he’s so squishy. Because of COVID-19 our appointment with that veterinarian is limited to a speaker phone call.  The chiropractor came in to see Caymus, had never met him before and when she did, I heard the other vet say, “I know, isn’t he wonderful?”  And yes, yes, yes, yes – he is! Caymus has always been the biggest cat in our family in height, length and weight.  As he has aged, he has lost some weight, but still remains the “biggest” in height and length.  At his prime he was 17 lbs, kidney disease has whittled him down to 12 lbs. Caymus has a small head, big ears and big body, and certainly would have never passed for a show Ragdoll cat, but good god, do I think he is gorgeous.  He respected the heck out of my Rags, and I will always love him for that.  He is the kindest and sweetest animal I have ever known (the only time I have seen him really retaliate is with dogs).  When he first came to live with my parents – my parents had a very chill, awesome German Shepherd, Tucker – who respected cats.  But when we first got my parents’ German Shepherd, Napa, he was really upset – peed in my shower from the stress, etc.  Over the course of Napa’s life, they became best buds.  Caymus is now on his 4th (?) German Shepherd, my parents’ 3-year old, Parker. I can be in the worst mood – depressed about life – but Caymus, Caymus will cheer me  up.  And selfishly that’s one of the things I will miss the most about him – he has a rare ability to cheer me up – so his state now has been very hard on me.  I no longer pull on his energy and try to give him all of mine. Just the mention of his name makes me happy – he brings a joy to my soul that few can instantly bring. I love his purr and his personality is so weird and awkward that I don’t really know how to describe it.  He walks into a room like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh…but he’s not sad or depressed – but it’s that, “hey, guys…” type of approach.  I just love his presence.  He does get playful and alert – but not like other cats.  I would say that Trigg has a lot of Caymus-like characteristics – especially in their skiddish-ness.  Caymus lives in a household that is MUCH busier than my own. I often tell Caymus that if everyone in the world had him, the world would be a much happier and peaceful place. So, technically, Caymus is my parents’ cat.  I ask my mom every year for my birthday and for Christmas to gift him to me.  She won’t do it.  And to be quite honest, I couldn’t take him from Murphy – they are a bonded pair.  I did live with Caymus and Murphy in my early 20s when I still lived with my parents, so I feel like they are my cats too.  I go to every one of their vet appointments with my mom and always check in on them. Happy 16th Brithday to my beautiful Caymus!  I hope we still have a decent amount of time together.