I hope so too xCrewella wrote:Hi Jan, glad to hear Blackie's still doing OK. I remember his episodes. xx
You probably know all this, Julie, but to explain (just in case and to stop you worrying), both Blackie and Daz (and Midnight, I believe) have an additional complication in that not only do they get cystitis, but they are also prone to urinary blockages when they do get a cystitis flare-up.
The cystitis is bad enough, let's hope poor Barney doesn't have to contend with blockages as well. xx
I've no wish to alarm Julie - I'd never heard of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis at the time of Blackie's first bout - I had to ask the vet when we took him back the next day to explain it all to me. I didn't know what idiopathic meant either
so he said it meant 'no known cause - in other words no blockages of stones, crystals etc'. For Julie's info, when I told the vet about the enormous changes that had taken place in Blackie's life over the previous 10 months, going in a cattery, then coming out, then back in again (several times), then being taken to a totally different environment (our home), as well as him being the runt of a litter, he said that went a long way to explaining why his cystitis developed. Blackie probably missed my mother with whom he'd lived for 10 years in a very quiet environment and left on his own for the most part. I used to feel sorry for him, even though he was such an unfriendly individual at that time.
Blackie's circumstances may well have contributed to his FIC, but there's no doubt in my mind that the 1 x Cystophan and 60-100ml of water a day has significantly helped him more than the Hills c/d diet he was originally put on, even though he was fed on a wet diet all his life. That ... and an awful lot of love and fussing over - he seems to have taken over the house and our lives! No wonder my MIL bought a plaque to put on the front porch wall ... 'A Cat and Its Staff Live Here'
Lots of hugs to you, Julie, and Barney xx Please let us know how he's coming along.
