Trooper Challenge Help?

I rescued/adopted Tigger, subsequently renamed him Trooper, when he was 6
months old. He had been abandoned in a house with a broken-legged dog. I
loved his sweet personality when I adopted him, but discovered this mild
demeanor was due to being sick. After getting well, he terrorized me, but I
took on the challenge after numerous visits to my doctor to treat severe
bites and scratches. He literally had no fear & would chase after neighbor
dogs that ventured near. I've had him now over a year and he is extremely
lovey, but I can't win against a weight problem. He's a gorgeous neutered
orange tabby. I went so far to buy three different timer food dispensers as
well as one battery operated one. At the time I had only one other older cat
and have rescued another sweetie 6 months ago. I feel with certainty that
Trooper's mean behavior is neurological in nature. This has become more
apparent to me. I suspect he had been injured prior to my getting him and
the pain preventing him from normal exercise, hence the weight gain. Some
can view it in the opposite way with weight pinching nerves, but he had been
thin when I got him. Also, the behavior of overeating is typical when
abandoned in a place unable to get food, so I have bided time to hope he
works it out. However, when petting him, when I reach his mid-back to the
tail, he growls and hisses and turns at my hand and will either bite me or
claw me (gentler these days, not like before). Last night he would not even
let me pet his belly. He's not ferral. He's come a long ways since I
adopted him and is very sociable and endearing. Just have to watch out for
those teeth and claws when he's unhappy.

My question here is where to start other than a "primary" vet? Would like
suggestions in what may be done to explore his neuropathy and .. well, give
me some ideas so I can psyche myself more for the costly expenditures. He
has urinated twice in my room this past month, so am further worried. This
isn't territorial or behavoral .. just not his style (and it stinks, so not
diabetic). What specialist or who does this kind of testing and treatment
... if treatment or surgery can be done? He really is overweight and I have
done what I can to control that with no success (no way can I keep him
strictly indoors .. he can truly be a very mean terror! ). I had hoped the
new rescued cat might help him lose weight, but my instincts here is it is
neurologically related. I've waited long enough .. and hope not too long.
Trooper is a challenge, but one I can see with a happier future. I'm in San
Diego, California, so if anyone can suggest some place for this type of
specialty, I'd appreciate it. This is Sunday and my plans are to start
moving on things tomorrow for him. Thanks in advance.

You may want to consult with an animal behaviorist. Overeating and
aggressiveness may be a behavioral problem even though you may not think so.
Ask your vet if he/she can recommend someone. The best bet is an
behaviorist that is also a veterinarian.

Good luck.

S.
"Robin Cook" wrote in message
nk.net...
I rescued/adopted Tigger, subsequently renamed him Trooper, when he was 6
months old. He had been abandoned in a house with a broken-legged dog. I
loved his sweet personality when I adopted him, but discovered this mild
demeanor was due to being sick. After getting well, he terrorized me, but
I
took on the challenge after numerous visits to my doctor to treat severe
bites and scratches. He literally had no fear & would chase after
neighbor
dogs that ventured near. I've had him now over a year and he is extremely
lovey, but I can't win against a weight problem. He's a gorgeous neutered
orange tabby. I went so far to buy three different timer food dispensers
as
well as one battery operated one. At the time I had only one other older
cat
and have rescued another sweetie 6 months ago. I feel with certainty that
Trooper's mean behavior is neurological in nature. This has become more
apparent to me. I suspect he had been injured prior to my getting him and
the pain preventing him from normal exercise, hence the weight gain. Some
can view it in the opposite way with weight pinching nerves, but he had
been
thin when I got him. Also, the behavior of overeating is typical when
abandoned in a place unable to get food, so I have bided time to hope he
works it out. However, when petting him, when I reach his mid-back to the
tail, he growls and hisses and turns at my hand and will either bite me or
claw me (gentler these days, not like before). Last night he would not
even
let me pet his belly. He's not ferral. He's come a long ways since I
adopted him and is very sociable and endearing. Just have to watch out
for
those teeth and claws when he's unhappy.

My question here is where to start other than a "primary" vet? Would like
suggestions in what may be done to explore his neuropathy and .. well,
give
me some ideas so I can psyche myself more for the costly expenditures. He
has urinated twice in my room this past month, so am further worried.
This
isn't territorial or behavoral .. just not his style (and it stinks, so
not
diabetic). What specialist or who does this kind of testing and treatment
.. if treatment or surgery can be done? He really is overweight and I
have
done what I can to control that with no success (no way can I keep him
strictly indoors .. he can truly be a very mean terror! ). I had hoped
the
new rescued cat might help him lose weight, but my instincts here is it is
neurologically related. I've waited long enough .. and hope not too long.
Trooper is a challenge, but one I can see with a happier future. I'm in
San
Diego, California, so if anyone can suggest some place for this type of
specialty, I'd appreciate it. This is Sunday and my plans are to start
moving on things tomorrow for him. Thanks in advance.

in article t, Robin Cook
at wrote on 11/14/04 3:42 PM:

I rescued/adopted Tigger, subsequently renamed him Trooper, when he was 6
months old. He had been abandoned in a house with a broken-legged dog. I
loved his sweet personality when I adopted him, but discovered this mild
demeanor was due to being sick. After getting well, he terrorized me, but I
took on the challenge after numerous visits to my doctor to treat severe
bites and scratches. He literally had no fear & would chase after neighbor
dogs that ventured near. I've had him now over a year and he is extremely
lovey, but I can't win against a weight problem. He's a gorgeous neutered
orange tabby. I went so far to buy three different timer food dispensers as
well as one battery operated one. At the time I had only one other older cat
and have rescued another sweetie 6 months ago. I feel with certainty that
Trooper's mean behavior is neurological in nature. This has become more
apparent to me. I suspect he had been injured prior to my getting him and
the pain preventing him from normal exercise, hence the weight gain. Some
can view it in the opposite way with weight pinching nerves, but he had been
thin when I got him. Also, the behavior of overeating is typical when
abandoned in a place unable to get food, so I have bided time to hope he
works it out. However, when petting him, when I reach his mid-back to the
tail, he growls and hisses and turns at my hand and will either bite me or
claw me (gentler these days, not like before). Last night he would not even
let me pet his belly. He's not ferral. He's come a long ways since I
adopted him and is very sociable and endearing. Just have to watch out for
those teeth and claws when he's unhappy.

My question here is where to start other than a "primary" vet? Would like
suggestions in what may be done to explore his neuropathy and .. well, give
me some ideas so I can psyche myself more for the costly expenditures. He
has urinated twice in my room this past month, so am further worried. This
isn't territorial or behavoral .. just not his style (and it stinks, so not
diabetic). What specialist or who does this kind of testing and treatment
.. if treatment or surgery can be done? He really is overweight and I have
done what I can to control that with no success (no way can I keep him
strictly indoors .. he can truly be a very mean terror! ). I had hoped the
new rescued cat might help him lose weight, but my instincts here is it is
neurologically related. I've waited long enough .. and hope not too long.
Trooper is a challenge, but one I can see with a happier future. I'm in San
Diego, California, so if anyone can suggest some place for this type of
specialty, I'd appreciate it. This is Sunday and my plans are to start
moving on things tomorrow for him. Thanks in advance.



Boy, I would look for arthritis. I've heard of this before in cats that have
arthritis in the back (probably from an injury. One of my kitties has it bad
in one knee we assume from an accident. My brother had her first and he
tells me she has always had a bad knee since they took her in as a 6 or so
month old kitten). For my cat, we put her on Cosequin and it made a big
difference in her comfort after about 3 months. A simple food supplement
could be the answer but you need an xray. For weight maintenaince, wet food
only could be the answer there.

"Robin Cook" wrote in message
nk.net...
I rescued/adopted Tigger, subsequently renamed him Trooper, when he was 6
months old. He had been abandoned in a house with a broken-legged dog. I
loved his sweet personality when I adopted him, but discovered this mild
demeanor was due to being sick.

snip

I've waited long enough .. and hope not too long.
Trooper is a challenge, but one I can see with a happier future. I'm in
San
Diego, California, so if anyone can suggest some place for this type of
specialty, I'd appreciate it. This is Sunday and my plans are to start
moving on things tomorrow for him. Thanks in advance.


Start with some basic bloodwork, a general health panel. It's possible that
he could be diabetic or hyperthyroid, both of which can cause aggression. I
would start there before looking for neurological reasons.


--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
www.kelltek.com
Check out www.snittens.com

"Robin Cook" wrote in message
nk.net...
I rescued/adopted Tigger, subsequently renamed him Trooper, when he was 6
months old. [...]

You have been through so much with him, kudos to you for taking care of him.
I only have one suggestion
for your vet to check out--it is called "feline hyperesthesia." My
ten-year-old female has it. She also is extremely
fat--and strangely, was fat when she had an overactive thyroid, which is
another story. Here is the point: her hyperesthesia got better after I
corrected her thyroid problem. There are lots of sites about it but here is
one:

http://www.thecatsite.com/content/view/20/27/

Although many cats get aggressive when petted, ours did not, she just wagged
her head
and said "mow mow mow."

Trooper sounds like an interesting boy and I would love to see photos if you
have any up.

I've looked at the hyperesthesia site and Trooper isn't chasing his tail or
biting out chunks of fur .. maybe he'll start doing that at some point in
the stages of this condition if it is what he has. I have had a complete
blood panel .. he's still just over 2 years old .. and the thyroid,
urinalysis and fecal. No thyroid or diabetes themes. I tried every brand
of prescription cat foods (yes, more than one or two cans .. and he would
NOT eat any of them). The other alternative the vet had said to try was the
highest protein soft petstore brand kitten food and if that didn't work,
then try the petstore dry kitten food. I have found he'll eat a little of
the canned foods, and I've done the deed with every one of the fanciest,
most nutritional type of treats as well. I'm about ready to take lessons
from Crocodile Dundee. He truly is a sweetie, but he has moments that he
will arch, snarl and give me that glare that says, "Don't you dare move that
hand of yours to touch my body!" It's when I pet him and reach just to the
middle to swoop back to his tail that he gets fired peeved and with that
tubby belly, you'd be surprised how quick the jaws clamp down on my hand. I
am able to talk to him as I work my experiment to determine just where on
his back the sensitivity starts. I feel he has had an injury since before I
got him, but has progressively gotten worse. He seems to know what it is
that I am doing and is tolerant to where one eye and one ear will lean down
as I touch that initial sensitive area.

I have been concerned about this for quite some time and I had mentioned it
at my first vet visit after adopting him. Naturally, when I was there at
the vet's that day, he didn't react to my touch .. it was more of an
intermittent reaction then, but now it is distinctly all the time. I'll do
more research on this hyperesthesia to be a more informed mommie and be able
to confidently take my role in treatment if it turns out to be this
syndrome. I don't wish to sound calloused, but three weeks ago I was so
frustrated knocking my head against the wall with figuring another plan for
dealing with Trooper's weight, that I was about to post a question .. "Do
they do liposuction for cats?" He is in pain when I try to pick him up, and
it is a struggle for him to jump from the floor onto the bed. I just went
in this minute and stood on my own scale with him and did the math .. he's
17.5 lbs. He was good-natured when I went in and picked him up,
understanding and trusting me in my gentle movements to carefully lift him
up, but just as I set him down, he was begining to growl at me. I feel
certain the growling and so forth is reaction/response to unidentified pain
he's experiencing.

Thank you for one theme to research ... any other suggestions I'm
appreciative. How do I put a jpg photo here to post? Or is that something
that isn't allowed? I have some at Wal-Mart being developed.
Robin

Oh, and one other thing that has been a concern is his nasal area has always
seemed to be troublesome for him. He doesn't have an allergy or asthma
(checked that out). Ever since I got him I can hear him inhaling the
majority of the time. What conditions are there that involve the nose/sinus
area that .. well, if he's not getting enough 02 that lends a little into
the weight problem area too. Perhaps someone injured his nose.

"Robin Cook" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I've looked at the hyperesthesia site and Trooper isn't chasing his tail
or
biting out chunks of fur ..

Neither was my cat. She just reacted when petted. However, it does sound
like your boy has some sort of injury. I'll keep looking around, and
hopefully someone else will offer more helpful information. I'm glad
he does not have at thyroid problem or diabetes, though~!

"Robin Cook" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I've looked at the hyperesthesia site and Trooper isn't chasing his tail
or
biting out chunks of fur .. maybe he'll start doing that at some point in
the stages of this condition if it is what he has. I have had a complete
blood panel .. he's still just over 2 years old .. and the thyroid,
urinalysis and fecal. No thyroid or diabetes themes.

I apologize, I misread. I thought he was 6 years old. Yes, at 2 yrs
hyper-T and diabetes probably wouldn't be an issue. 6 years would be young,
too, but not unheard of.
Anyway, you may want to look at the arthritis issue some others have
mentioned. With his weight and unknown history before you got him, he could
have an old fracture that healed wrong and is causing him pain. I don't
know much about hyperesthesia.
I wonder if he may have been absued and that is causing some of his issues
with being petted?


Thank you for one theme to research ... any other suggestions I'm
appreciative. How do I put a jpg photo here to post? Or is that
something
that isn't allowed? I have some at Wal-Mart being developed.

You can post photos at sites like Webshots or Shutterfly, or there is a
binaries ng, alt.binaries.pictures.animals

--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
www.kelltek.com
Check out www.snittens.com

"Robin Cook" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Oh, and one other thing that has been a concern is his nasal area has
always
seemed to be troublesome for him. He doesn't have an allergy or asthma
(checked that out). Ever since I got him I can hear him inhaling the
majority of the time. What conditions are there that involve the
nose/sinus
area that .. well, if he's not getting enough 02 that lends a little into
the weight problem area too. Perhaps someone injured his nose.



Hmmm. I hope nobody injured his nose. My Buddha breathes
loudly and grunts and groans and snores, but I know that is weight.
This is quite a mystery and I will look forward to someone shedding
some light on it for you. He sounds like such a neat boy.