Ninja Update

Ninja had his cardiac echo last week. The results were shocking to say the least. We suspeced HCM (Hypertrophic cardio myopathy)Which is a thickening of the heart walls so much that the heart can't work properly. What we found was that Ninja has DCM (Dilated Cardio Myopathy)which is a thinning and weakening of the heart wall. DCM is very very rare in cats and its just unheard of in kittens. The normal cause is a Taurine deficiency. Years ago before commercial cat foods supplemented Taurine, lots of cats died of DCM. Now, its virtually irradicated.

So we've sent off a Taurine level test. If its low, then we will supplement his taurine, and if he is able to process it properly, his heart will prepare and he will be ok. Thats the hope. The reality is, it takes years for Taurine deficiency to cause this level of heart disease in a cat. Ninja has only been alive for 6 months. This indicates that its a congenital defect. If this is the case, prognosis is grave. Weeks to months to live. We've sent off a Taurine level test, results back in 2 weeks! 2 weeks! Might as well be an eternity.

Meanwhile I'm just enjoying every day with him. If figures that MY cat has the weird diagnosis and short lifespan. I seem to get a lot of that. But maybe thats just God giving me the special ones, because he knows I'll take care of them. Or maybe God is punishing me for putting my pets before him in my life.

I don't know. All I know is, it sucks. Ninja is a cool cat, and I love him so much.





And Sully Wully, looking handsome