Afer

Afer, a.k.a. Lil Miss Mouser, a.k.a. Afer E. Baby, Afer E. Grannie

I adopted Afer from the Tree House Animal Foundation in January 2004. I loved Afer from the minute I began volunteering there in June 2002. She'd been at Tree House since she was 3 years old (1991). I felt I didn't have room for any more cats, though. She was adopted in the spring of 2003. However, somehow she escaped her new home and was on the streets for months. Finally, someone found her, and through her microchip she found her way back to Tree House.

In January 2004, she spent time in the clinic. That cinched it for me. I couldn't stand it if she spent the rest of her days in the shelter. I took her home, at age 16. She's flourished. She gets night crazies, and loves her catnip mouse. She used to pick on poor Meow Meow when she's not feeling well. I think she was just excited to have someone to pick on - given she's such a teeny kitty.

She loves to be brushed and petted, and will do "kitty yoga", practically doing handstands her butt gets so high. She's still nervous of being picked up or restrained, but we're working on that. She's doing extremely well, considering within her first week here I had medicate her. She likes to play with pom pom balls, her catnip mouse, catnip pillows, and plastic rings. She also enjoys napping in her wicker basket and in the little bed I put in the windowsill for her.

Afer made the Tree House 2003 Year in Review!

Afer was diagnosed with kidney disease in August 2004. Fortunately, with treatment her values are staying fairly stable. I'm tracking her lab test results here.

I took Afer to the emergency vet clinic Christmas Eve, 2006 with labored breathing. She had 145 cc's of fluid drained from her chest. At this time, we suspect heart disease. She was able to come home Christmas Day, and seems to be doing pretty well. She's less playful than previously, but still enjoys napping in pet tents, licking catnip toys, and some good canned food. A visit to a cardiologist showed nothing significant - minor heart issues and very small nodules on her liver (too small to biopsy). So far, the fluid hasn't recurred.

In May of 2007, she had a vestibular episode secondary to an ear infection - but once again, amazed us all with a speedy and complete recovery!

In March of 2008, I noticed her T4 values had increased from previous bloodwork. I opted to take her to a specialty center for a technitium (scintigraphic) scan of her thyroid. The scan showed significant hyperthyroidism. She was treated via radioactive iodine (I131) therapy in July of 2008.

In September of 2008, she became inappetant and rather lethargic. A visit to the vet revealed an elevated white blood cell count and she was put on antibiotics. Her appetite improved. However, in October I noticed some coughing and that her breathing was more from the abdomen. Another vet visit revealed fluid build-up in the chest and an enlarged liver. We rushed to the cardiologist, who confirmed congestive heart failure. They drained the fluids (120 mL's) via thoracocentesis and prescribed a change in medications and discontinuation of sub-q fluids for the time being. It's a delicate balancing act to treat heart disease (which calls for diuretics) and kidney disease (which calls for fluids). A few days later, I hadn't noticed significant improvement and took her back to my veterinarian. The fluids had built up once again, as much or more than they had been just three days earlier. There was little we could do, and we opted to set her free rather. As was typical of my little girl, she faced her journey bravely, happy and purring and responding with head butts and kitty yoga up until the end.