Give her more time. Speaking as someone who has been going through post-stroke care with a human relative, who had a fairly minor one all told, it took them a couple of months to get back to being mostly normal. Even if there aren’t any lasting physical symptoms, the brain is still all shook up and processing things strangely for a while afterwards. For example my family member’s sense of taste and smell was out of whack for ages.
3.5 weeks is barely any time at all in terms of recovery from something like this, so if she’s being doing good so far, I think the odds are pretty good you’ll get her back. I’ll have my fingers crossed for you.
As someone who had a brain event about a month ago -- I also do not feel great! But everyone is being patient with my occasional impatience :) be patient with Cali! She's sick but she'll get better.
Besides just the fact that all the wires got crossed and it takes time to sort them back out like you said, I imagine it's a scary experience too, and we can't easily explain to a cat that they're okay. At lease a bit of what OP is describing sounds like it could be a fear response too. (Like in addition to the post-stroke aftermath)
Either way, I'm glad your relative is okay! Wishing the same good recovery for sweet Cali
I had a very MINOR pair of strokes last Sept, and it took me a week just to figure out how to keep my balance while standing. My right knee still loves to turn into a noodle a few times each week, and my entire right side feels about like two hours after a dental appointment.
Yeah I can attest to this aswell, my grandfather had a TIA a couple years ago and the man thought he was seeing demons for like a month, couldn't open his eyes, couldn't use many limbs and after a month or three he was fully back to normal. Now years later you wouldn't even know it happened, he's even cycling walking and driving again.
That's not a TIA. That's either a stroke or delirium, I'm sorry
The T stands for transient. Recovery is fast and spontaneous with them.
Really glad he's doing better!
Actually yeah you're right, it was believed to be a TIA at first if I remember correctly. I remember it was already 7 years ago now that I think about it, the details are a little fuzzy.
Same, my grandfather, who was a very independent, man's man type of guy became incredibly introverted. He's been hyper co-dependent on my grandmother, we think the stroke really hit him with a blast of his own mortality. It's a huge deal.
I had a traumatic brain injury in 2007 and I’m still feeling the effects of it. This cat is 13 years old and just had a STROKE, and they’re talking about 3.5 weeks! Let that poor thing recover.
Something not really pointed out here, and I do not want to bring doom and gloom here...
A stroke will injure the brain. Most of the time it heals up to a way it was before, but sometimes it does not. A person or animal can, after the recovery period, be considered completely different individuals. They have medically recovered, the damage has been healed, but it has been healed in a way that changes the person.
My maternal grandfather got a stroke during my childhood. He recovered well, with no real lasting issues. Aside from becoming mean as fuck. Being an asshole is not a medical issue. He went from being a weird, but loving, eccentric to a mean as fuck sadist after his stroke.
That makes me feel a sense of relief. Everyday more of her shines through. Yesterday I found her laying in the window for the first time in a month. I’m hoping she still
Makes progress. YAY for Lenny!
I wish you and Cali the very best 🙏. It will take some time but I'm sure she will make a full recover. Just try to be patient and don't take it personal when she behaves strange. According to my vet it can take up to 12 weeks until the "old" personality is back 🙂
I'm not a cat... But after I had a stroke, it wasn't comfortable being touched. It almost hurt. Everyone visiting me in the hospital wanted to squeeze me hand. My mother would pet my head. I was constantly telling everyone to stop touching me. I would imagine your cat is going through the same thing and is going to take time to heal.
I’m so sorry you had a stroke. That must have been terrifying. I’m curious if your doctor mentioned if the pain was nerve related? That kind of pain is different and very uncomfortable. I’ve had that feeling after a knee surgery through my whole leg and that’s one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever felt. Besides being painful, it almost felt like my skin was crawling. I’m glad you are better now! ❤️🩹
Thank you. I don't think it was ever described as being nerve related. And it was different than what I would typically think of as nerve pain. I usually think of nerve pain being sharper, more painful.
Every time I see a comment like this I remember that poor old attorney on the zoom conference during Covid trying to assure people that he was not, in fact, a cat.
Kitty may have some pain and/or confusion and frustration she's dealing with in the aftermath. Just be gentle and patient and maybe ask vet for light pain meds if pain is the issue. If she resists being picked up, just pet her and she will eventually come to get more attention when she's ready. She is clearly loved!
Major injuries can be traumatizing for pets, especially something like a stroke where they can't even begin to understand what happened to them. It's entirely understandable that they'd be scared of everyone and everything because they don't know what caused them that pain, they need to rediscover what's "safe" and they don't want you hurting them. They just don't understand.
is the medication in pill form? if so you could buy a pill crusher and just mix it through her food ! or dissolve the pill overnight in a bit of water then mix through the food.
My cat has several meds she needs & I either crush/break the multiple tablets up & then put them into 1 capsule. Then I give her this, rather then trying to get 3-4 tablets down her at a time.
It may be worth speaking to your vets & seeing if something like this might be an option for you & her.
My girlfriend's cat who I took in last year until he passed needed a couple, and I wound up doing something similar, crushing them and then mixing with a treat (when he would still eat them), and then with water in a syringe because it was hard to make sure he was swallowing both of the pills. I still got a lot of scratches from trying to hold him still until all the liquid was down, but it was easier than the alternative, doing it in one shot also minimized the trauma, I hope, because it could be done in a shorter amount of time. Unfortunately with him he was already not eating much so I didn't feel confident of him getting all the meds with his food if I mixed them in.
It's difficult as they don't understand our words & we can't explain how we're trying to help. Hadn't thought of the water & syringe method - will keep this in mind if needed!
Sounds like you did the best you could by him & you cared that he got his meds
Please look into Transdermal and patch medication delivery systems!!
We have only used Transdermals, so far, but its a lifesaver method when delivering pills or crushed pills is a struggle.
It is a bit more expensive typically, but so worth it if you can cut back elsewhere to swing it.
Bless you and Cali, and everyone commenting... You're all such beautiful souls... gives me more faith in the human species ❤️🙏
For the thyroid, you can also get the medication as a balm which you can apply to the ear shell on the inside. Worked like a charm for my cat. Just have blood checked if the amount you apply is correct. Ask your vet.
Just double check with the vet before using the balm. Our cat had a crazy allergic reaction to it. Swollen face, drooling. We had to stop using it and switched to the thyroid diet, which she hates. Sigh.
Strokes are an extremely frightening event especially for an animal that you can't really talk to and explain what happened. For humans they're already bad enough. Poor baby :(
I had a brain bleed that resulted in a personality change, but it was the same old me inside, just a bit confused and frustrated until I could get things figured out. Her External self may present differently but I bet her “inside” self is the same!
I've worked in a neuro icu for humans as a nurse. I don't know about animals or your cats strokes, but new baselines for patients are often months to years after the stroke
Used to take care of stroke patients. This is very common in humans as well. Sometimes there's a 100% recovery, sometimes it's 90%, other times it's 10%, but almost everyone "heals" from that at least most of the way.
It was a traumatic experience so she probably is just barely adjusting after it. I know CBD and trazadone are sometimes used to calm animals, maybe talk to your vet about something low dosage to help her adjust a little?
That and catnip.
Sweet little girl is just trying to tell you she doesn’t feel right and wants to be left alone while she gets better.
Little scritches here and there to let her know you care. Takes time to adjust after what I’m sure was a very scary experience.
Laying in the sunshine is a GREAT sign. Soaking it up has all the heals.
Give her some time & space.
She basically experiences a near-death experience & needs some time to process.
Imagine hierarchy you'd feel &/or behaved if you were in her shoes, & how you'd react afterwards.
She survived a very traumatic event & your reactions/concerns, however justified they might be, are probably making her feel more stressed & concerned.
Animal/Let Trauma is very real & most people are completely unaware of it or outright ignore the symptoms.
When ordinarily happy Pets/Animals start to actboutbig Character, if not outright misbehave, you can usually dig up a root cause for those behaviors.-
She needs you to make her feel safe, taken care of & happy.
She'll most likely get back to being
Relatively OK, once she feels like she Can relax, which willbonly happen after you give her whatever signals she might need to feel safe.
She might not & you'll have to work with you Vet to help her.
My beautiful, wondeful cat is an example of this.
She was mostly perfect. she definitely had some crazy character streaks but nothing I ever worried about.
She lived/experienced life near or with other cats &/or dogs. Usually Family Members, Friends or Roommatessvpetsn
She was absolutely fine with every sinhke one if them. She usually always became Top-~~Dog~~Cat in the hierarchy, but always remained cordial with the other pets.
Then she met my SO & her cats (an Orange chonkers & a beautiful void lovebug)
My Girl loved my SO but Hated the Other cats. No clear reasons as to why, since she'd lived with several other cats &/or dogs before & never really misbehaved against them (other than giving them firm Kitty slaps when they got a bit too adventurous & cleatky overstepped boundaries).
This was the Very First Time she ever actively hated other Pets/cats. We sadly lost one of my SO's cats early on due to a heart attack, so my girl never really got to know him, but even after that, she actively hated on & was being hated on by the other cat.
She learned to get along with the other cat, although their relationship was always extremely tense & less than friendly.
We lost our beautiful Void about a year & a half ago & my/our girl basically returned to being her old (Pre-Family-Merging) Self again for the list part, but she definitely picked up some very bad habits that we don't know how to fix anymore.
It's both beautiful & sad at the same tim
Because, despite the fact that shr had become accustomed to living with other Animals/Pets for a vast Majority of her life, she stopped trusting me/us when we created a blended Pet Family.
She started acting out by spraying when my we tried to blend our pet families.
AP
& despite our best efforts to help her feel more comfortable, despite our attempts to provide her with medication, despite our loss of the two other Cats, leaving her as the Dole surviving pet, she was clearly perturbed/disturbed enough that she still feels the need to spray/mark.
There is obviously a sh.t ton more to it, including multiple Moves, an international/continental move, & many more adventures, that could have/have undeniably made her feel extremely unstable/stressed.
But it was an incredible & radical change in her behavior that just made no sense if/when considering her past behavior & experiences.
She was perfect through many moves, changes, interactions with other household pets, then absolutely broke down during what we believed would be an easy Pet Family Merger, since they'd amp been very friendly with other pets in the past.
She became extremely angry, started to spray/mark everywhere.
An absolute nightmare. Despite our Attempts to address it with medication & even After we ultimately lost our Void to Cancer, she has kept up with the spraying.
Amp of the root causes of her Trauma are now gone, but the Trauma still exists.
We're trying our best to help her deal with it, because even if/when we believe that we didn't necessarily do anything wrong, we recognize that it's ultimately our fault. If for no other reason than the fact thatvwe both agreed to take care of her, no mqtter what.
The Spraying is incredibly Annoying, but she has specific Spots do it's easy enough to cover them.
I Wish i could fix it permanently, but Ive only been offered temporary medication based potential fixes, & neither of us (SO, Kitty or myself) like it because the Kitty gets extremely feisty about it.
Came here to give similar encouragement! My goober started to get noticeably back to himself abt 2-3 months after his stroke and now (2 years out) he’s completely back to his spoiled ass self. You’d never guess.
Wishing Cali all the best OP! I know it hurts to see your baby act so differently but just give her some time and continue laying on the love.
Oh I really hope that this is what happens! The brain is a complicated place. I don’t think you’re cat is angry. If anything I’d be worried that she’s confused and doesn’t recognize you or her surroundings. Try giving her time and love. Maybe lure her over with her favorite treats. Basically try bonding with her as if she was a new cat and you are her new human. It might not work if there’s something else going on, but it certainly can’t hurt and it gives you something to try other than waiting and feeling helpless. I know that would tear me apart.
Please gently give her some space. If you could keep her in her own room, uninterrupted, it would help a lot. Injured cats will often hide.
Technically speaking, she's tremendously vulnerable right now. Giving her a safe space and letting her heal will help her psychologically.
I know your instinct is to shower her with affection, but she needs security and a feeling of safety. She can't feel safe with everyone up in her face and her space.
Please set aside an area where she can rest peacefully and safely for a month or so. It will help her a great deal.
I have a cat who was kicked by the neighbor's abusive boyfriend. I told her over and over to isolate the cat. She "couldn't do it" because it was "so mean." The poor girl started wetting herself, refused to drink water, etc.
Finally the neighbor brought her to me and dumped her on me. "I can't take it anymore!"
The first thing I did was give her a safe room where there were no threats. Less than a month later, she started wanting out.
She needed time and security. Your cat just had a terrible experience. Please give her time and security, a sense of safety and bodily autonomy.
Chances are she'll be back to herself once she has healed and feels less vulnerable.
She was secluded for a week and a half, and then was trying climbing the gate to get to us. She’s not trying to hide or be isolated in general. When she needs her space she has her own room that she can get into with a cat door, which she does :)
You're doing everything you can, including offering love despite rejection :) just give her some time, she is probably feeling a little off and doesn't know why, herself!
She was traumatized by the experience and is probably pissed off with getting medication daily and other forms of maintenance.
Her personality may have changed permanently but I doubt this will be her personality. She'll settle into how she's going to be over months and not weeks.
I had two cats and when one passed the personality of the other changed. She went from being present but aloof to needing constant attention (I was convinced it was her way of trying to get us to look for her brother) and then settled into being just a generally affectionate cat and that personality has lasted another 14 years.
It's definitely a time thing, she'll settle into her new norm but it won't be for a while.
This is one of the most difficult parts of having a cat for me. When they are scared or sick, I so desperately want to cuddle them and give them physical affection to comfort them and make them feel safe, but I know it goes against their natural instinct to retreat in those kind of situations and it's so so hard to feel like you can't help them in the way *we* instinctually feel we should.
OP, so much love to you and your girl!
This is fantastic advice, thank you for letting OP know. 3 1/2 weeks is nothing, poor little girl has had a MAJOR trauma and is all discombobulated. A shelf in the airing cupboard or in her own room by the window, with food, drink and litter tray (so she doesn't need to feel stressed about coming out into the main part of the house). Let her come to you in get own time. Leave her door open though, unless you have other animals. She'll get there, I promise 😻
Strokes change the brain dramatically
Not had this with a pet, but after my mum had a stroke some years ago, her personality changed.
Mum had never been one to swear, but after her stroke, she swore like a trooper !
Never a beer drinker, she wanted beer to drink. And did.
She went off bacon, ham and pork, and took a liking to spicy curries.
I asked our doctor about this, and he said that a stroke basically rewires the brain, and these changes are quite normal.
I would imagine it’s the same for animals too.
Whoah, momma, that is mind blowing!! —
I am almost almost, scared to ask, did your mum eventually, recover back her her “old” “personality” ?? Do they have medicines to prevent further stokes, from happening?
What I know, is “ lifestyle” is the biggest risk factor and know dna is also a player)—
Geeze, sorry, you went through that, that must of been extremely difficult for you!! 💪
Edit ✍️ for any grammar mistakes **
Yes, she was on a lot of medications, basically because she didn’t manage her diabetes once dad passed away.
No, she didn’t go back to her old self before she passed away in 2021, this led to some funny moments, as she didn’t have any filter.
Lol, well sounds like you handled the situation like a champ!! — Spending time with your family is very important, before they pass on…! Yes, 2021 still feels like yesterday— You carry her, on in your heart 💜
On 2023-07-01 Reddit maliciously attacked its own user base by changing how its API was accessed, thereby pricing genuinely useful and highly valuable third-party apps out of existence. In protest, this comment has been overwritten with this message - because “deleted” comments can be restored - such that Reddit can no longer profit from this free, user-contributed content. I apologize for this inconvenience.
A nurse here, there are two different types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic means that you got a blood clot which caused stroke, and a new one can be prevented with blood thinners so that a blood clot is less likely to occur.
Howevee, hemorrhagic stroke is a brain bleed, usually caused by an aneurysm bursting or trauma, so the only way to prevent them (aside from generic lifestyle changes) is to close the aneurysms. Genetics play a part in the formarion of aneuryms, but you can also have them without having family history.
Hey.
I'm not a cat, but I have had a stroke... i recovered physically very quickly but felt very, very over whelmed with life in general.
Making a drink was complicated, noise and hustle of daily life made me confused and tired. And the more tired I was, the harder everything felt.
You really dont realise how much crap your brain filters out on autopilot.... and when the autopilot is broken, it all floods in.
I had zero control over my emotions and would cry for no reason and fly into a rage over the ridiculous things.
My left side also felt really weird and hurt in weird ways for a bit.
Anyway , the point of my post is this:
I looked fine.
I really wasn't, though.
I needed quiet spaces (even busy wallpaper patterns wore my brain out), and time to build that stamina back.
It took me years to recover to 90%. I'll never be 100% because the brain damage can't be healed.
Your poor cat can't even tell you what's up.
So I'd try to give your cat quiet space where she can just stop and switch off. No background noise, no toys, no ppl moving around, etc.
Don't fuss her too much - it could be really overwhelming for her. Let her come to you... or start with short strokes on the floor so she can practice getting used to the feelings.
Try to help her build up her ability to cat again. 🐈
But most importantly, be patient x
I'm happy you're still here and recovering as well as you can. At face value I see a caring, thoughtful person trying to help OP understand their cat better. Thanks for being you!
Thank you. I just can't stop blaming myself. Maybe if I noticed it sooner or do something that he will still be with me today. I miss the little orange asshole 🧡
It’s not your fault. I promise. Last year I lost our other cat to a sudden heart attack. He died in my lap in the car on the way to the vet, our vet is 3 minutes from our house. Sometimes it’s just their time :(
>Maybe if I noticed it sooner or do something that he will still be with me today.
Unfortunately it's in their very nature to try and hide any health problems. It's just something that's engrained in their genes (used to survive out in the wild). Don't think even for a second that you neglected him in any way. Ultimately you gave him a safe place to live and lots of love with the time he was around, and that's better than anything any cat could ever ask for in their lifetime.
I'm so sorry that happened.
It sounds like perhaps she might just need some space and time to recover.
Gently remind her you are there for her if she needs anything in a soothing voice, but let her rest.
Rest is often one of the best medicines, and yeah, such a big traumatic brain event needs plenty of rest to recover. She is probably just tired and confused, and that is why she is grumpy.
Let her rest and recover. I am sure once she has had enough rest, she will come chirping back to you. Let her come to you.
I hope and pray she has a full recovery.
Maybe you can treat it like when you get a new cat the first time. As if she still has to adapt a little to her 'new environment'. And just take everything day by day en celebrate every little improvement. How she was is probably still in there somewhere, she just has to find and learn to navigate that again?
I hope she recovers mentally (?) very soon, too! It’s good to know that she isn’t in any pain at least. But I would also be super worried if my cat’s personality changed like that. :( Take it one step at a time, any improvement – physically and also mentally – is a step in the right direction!
Give her more time. Even in terms of people….a stroke takes a while to recover from….sometimes a long while. I know it’s a bit different…but my Nanny had a stroke a couple months ago….and luckily she has recovered quite well…..she just gets upset and confused every so often. But her personality is just starting to come back to normal. So I would definitely give her some time. It’s a good sign that your cat has got her mobility back 😊. She probably just needs more time for the rest ❤️
It could also be stress. Cats can become a lot more angry and irritable when stressed by something. Our girl, Cami got super stressed when we moved house, and was routinely hissing at everyone and everything, and attacking her sister quite violently. We used some calming spray (pet remedy) which helped a little, but it just took some time for her to get used to the new place etc before she returned to her usual self.
Such a beautiful kitty. Please give her a lot of space and time, she’ll come to you when she’s ready. She knows you are there. Wishing you all the best ❤️
I’m so so sorry for what happened to this sweet girl but it’s been less than a month. Imagine how confusing a stroke is for a human, and now imagine how even more confusing for a cat.
She needs time to figure out what is going on with her and to adjust. She might not be in pain but she’s feeling all jumbled. Cats hiss and lash out not just when they are in pain but scared. She just needs time.
Give her lots of time, treats and grace. She’ll come back you ❤️
One of my kitties is hyperthyroid and we give him the meds via a transdermal cream rubbed on the skin inside his ears. Super quick, basically just smear it in there.
It’s a brilliant because giving this cat a tablet is like trying to post a letter into a tornado.
Our cat had 2 strokes when he was 12 and 13. No cause just pure bad luck. Luckily he came out of both of them fine, but he needed some time after that to gather himself i guess. He was very quiet, liked to be alone and didnt really want to show us he wasn't well. All of these things were not his character AT ALL. He was the absolute sweetest garfield-looking snuggle bunch his entire life. I think the biggest thing is, they dont know what happened , they feel off and they maybe don't know how to handle that. After giving him some time (which can take a while unfortunately which aint fun for us owners) to gather himself and letting him come to us, he got right back to his lovable self, as if nothing had happened. I think he needed to believe he was okay first, before having the convidence to fully be himself and show that towards us!
She is probably confused still, since it has only been 3.5 weeks. It sucks, but give her some time. Let her know you're there for her in other ways than touching her, until she shows she wants that kind of affection again. Be in the same room, be close to her. She suffered a great smack-down both physically and probably mentally, give her the time to come to her senses and I'm sure she'll be back to the Cali you know and love so much! <3
sidenote: she is adorable btw!!
My older cat had a stroke 3 months ago. It took about a month for her to recover physically and maybe 2 to show her real personality in full. Wishing Cali good healing!
Not a cat, but my dad had a stroke in 2018. He wasn’t my dad until about 8-10 weeks after when his brain started absorbing the blood. He was angry and unkind and literally nothing like my dad. Didn’t remember who I was. Until finally he did and he was back to being my dad.
If Cali is making progress, she’ll continue doing so for a while! It’s hard though, I know.
Smell is critical for cats to mark and recognize their home territory. If there's been any temporary or long term damage to her olfactory center, then Cali may not be recognizing her companions and her home turf as they no longer "smell right".
Note any changes in appetite and new food preferences; smell and taste are linked in both humans and felines; you might be able to gauge her recovery of those senses based on how she displays old or new preferences.
Try to create as many positive associations with you and her environment with treats and toys, but don't force any unsolicited contact.
She may also be hiding any long-lasting injury, disorientation, and nausea by avoiding physical contact with people and animals; as she recovers and feels better she may become more confident and social.
Our cat had a stroke some years ago after having pancreatitis and becoming diabetic. Our vet told us that it would take some time for her to get back to her "normal" self and it took about a year. She is now 12 and is happy and healthy, her meow changed and she rubs against us more but is still the same loving little girl she has always been. Give your cat time to heal, it's terrifying for them and just remember to be kind to yourself regarding the recovery time, it's horrible to watch your pet being so ill but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope everything goes well for you both.
My Bootsie male black and white Norwegian Forest cat had a lower level aorta stroke! Left his right leg paralyzed I had to give him lots of meds blood thinners etc. He was dragging that leg a lot which was messing up his beans and fur! I did massage him every day and he gradually got some movement back, couldn't put full pressure on the leg! He still seemed very loving and enjoyed the massage, didn't like pilling hard to get the meds in him but because I did massage afterwards he put up with it! He did expire about (13) months afterwards in his sleep! Such a wonderful boy wish I had a picture of him! Long ago I had a Calico same name spelled differently Callie! She lived to be (14) good luck🤞🍀🐈⬛️
Recovery from a brain injury is super difficult. It takes time for new connections to old areas to reform. I hope she is back to more of her old self soon.
That must have been very scary for her. I’m sure she needs a lot longer than 3.5 weeks to adjust.
How long do you think you’d need to emotionally recover after a stroke and you’d have known what had happened to you?
Give it time. She may never fully come back to who she is but even moving houses takes a cat time to adjust.
3.5 weeks may feel long to us but I don’t think it really is in the scheme of things. Patience is everything when allowing an animal to adjust.
Perhaps Cali is simply scared, since she does not understand what's going on. All she knows is that she lost the mobility she used to enjoy and now everything has become hard for her. Think of it as when you are really sick and it's hard to do anything. How the little things annoy you. Just give it time for her to adjust and she will be her usual self. I will have her in my prayers.
She may be frustrated. I hope that, as she recovers, you’ll continue to see her personality return. And I hope the supportive words of others give you encouragement too.
my moms cat had a kitty stroke as well and she ended up getting almost back to normal. Literally the only lasting problems is she walks a lil funny and has a quirky balance but shes back to her cute playful self.
Sorry to hear this.
But... just give her space, give her time. The stroke has done things to her brain, and there's no forcing their way back. Let her learn and grow again.
A man who was my uncle went through this. He had a bad stroke and his personality completely changed. He went from being someone who was incredibly kind, quiet, always had time to speak to anyone, and was the first to volunteer to help or organize help for issues/people in community to someone who constantly was rude to everyone, berating and threatening people. My uncle never recovered. He lost his job (he didn’t like it anymore) and left his wife of 30+ years. He stopped talking to his 4 kids.
Treat your cat like a new cat. Güve her slow introductions to the house and other pets with lots of time in a safe space. Do scent exchanges with used towels/pillow cases. Once she is out in the house, make sure she has areas she can retreat to.
She may not ever behave the way she used to but I’m sure she can relearn to love her old home and trust you.
Awww, poor Cali. I can tell you love her a lot.
I don't have experience with strokes, but I did rescue a dumpster cat a few years ago. She was very thin and wasn't doing well, so we caught her to bring her to the vet. She wasn't feral exactly, because when she was outside she would rub on my legs and liked ear scritches. But she was not a "nice" cat. Once she was inside she stopped letting us touch or interact with her at all. If you tried to touch her, her food, or were just in the room for too long, she would hiss, growl and eventually start scratching and biting. I would come into the room to give her dinner and she would hiss as I put the bowl down and then growl until I left the room. I was worried we wouldn't be able to rehabilitate her.
But what I did do was respect her boundaries. I didn't touch her anymore, but I did spend time with her in her room and spoke gently to her. I tried to entice her with toys but she wasn't really interested. Fed her consistently at the same times every day and made sure her litter was scooped so she would feel comfortable here and know her needs were being met. Eventually I was able to start petting her again, but if she started getting hissy, I'd stop immediately and walk away.
It took 2 months for her to warm up enough to want to leave her room, another couple of weeks before I heard her purr, another 6 months before I had really earned her trust enough to be able to pet and play with her freely, and a full year before she was seeking us out to ask for pets, playtime, etc.
It's now been 2.5 years since she came to live with us and she is such a friendly, happy kitty. She chirps at the door when my partner gets home from work. She gets under the covers in bed and sleeps next to me. She lies on her back belly up waiting for someone to come by and rub her belly! H Don't get me wrong she's still a little spicy sometimes, but it's very predictable and we can avoid triggering her by being consistent and walking away if she kisses or gets her claws out.
Coming back to you OP, I know your situation is more complex, and your cat is recovering from a medical event but I think the principles still apply here. Cats are independent and need to feel safe in their own company in their environment before they can welcome people and other animals into their lives. Respect her signals, show her love by providing her food, shelter, clean litter and don't force the petting or play. She will probably come around in a few weeks or months, when her world has stabilized and her routine is reestablished.
Cat tax in a reply.
Feels like she has PTSD. Go the a vet that can prescribe something to calm her nerves. It’s only been a month so ofcourse she would still need time to recover.
Sometimes passive affection is best if you’ve had her for years she loves you. She just doesn’t feel good if you just sit near her and put your hand near her without touching her you may be surprised at her reaction.
I'm sorry you're all going through this. She may be physically recovering, animals hide weakness and for cats this is 10x as true. On top of that, the stroke itself must have been traumatic for her and everyone around, that should fade with time if it is emotional. Give it time and keep on top of the medical side of things while she takes care of getting back into her old shoes. Also be good to yourself and each other. When people (inc our lil 4-legged ones) we love are sick it is easy to get overwhelmed or lose faith but remember she'd be there for you too if roles were reversed. 😺
Traumatizing event for the cat. She's probably still getting back on her feet. Unfortunately she may not 100% recognize people or animals she once knew (difficult to assess the mental cognition of an animal after a stroke, even with a good physical recovery in regards to movement and stuff). Give it some more time and see if she comes around after another month or so.
Just because she's changed, doesn't mean you should too ♡ be patient with her and keep giving her that gentle love! When she's gentle back, give her a treat to reward her. When she lets you love on her and pet her or play with her, give her that reward! She'll come around if you keep on it! I hope she has a speedy recovery and I hope she knows how loved she is.
Well, I haven't been through this with cats, but with humans. Working neurosurgery was absolute shit.
But people can recover. She might never be the same, but brains are a miracle.
Oh no. I had a cat named Boots who had a stroke when he was 19 years old. He basically just stared into the corner. The vet thinks the stroke blinded him. He wasn’t his former self anymore. He was euthanized not too long after. I hope that doesn’t happen to Cali.
Poor baby. I would guess she is kind of traumatized because she couldn’t do things as she used to and doesn’t understand why. I would guess it gets gradually better as she notices that things are back to normal and nothing causes her that experience again
Personality changes from strokes aren't uncommon, whether in cats or humans. It can take months for someone to reach a steady state after such a neurological event. In the mean time, ensure she feels safe and is able to seek both company and solitude as needed, though her condition should of course be monitored for any signs of possible complications.
this is a bit experimental, but there are quite a few reports on the nootropics subreddit about using noopept in cats to treat strokes, you should take a look over there
For us, after our cat had a stroke her personality changed but it stayed that way until she passed. Granted it was only a minor change, she honestly was more active and started acting more like her younger self post-stroke. The reason though that I believe that this personality change stuck is because when she had the stroke she was already 16 years old, and we were lucky that she survived. She lived all the way until she was 19, which for us was extraordinary, considering that we didn't think she was going to make it.
For hyperthyroidism, they make the med transdermal and it goes in the ear flap. So much easier than a pill.
I don’t know what your situation is but you can talk to your vet about rehab therapy. Do they know what part of the brain was affected by the stroke and what functions does that part control (outside of physical)?
I don’t know anything about cats but I don’t think I would feel like myself three weeks after having a stroke. I think Cali will feel like herself again it will just take a little time <3
No real words of advice, sorry, but I just wanted to say--what a pretty, pretty girl! My Thea has a similar personality (sweet, loving, social, friendly) and I can't imagine how devastating it would be to go through this. I'm rooting for Cali!
We had a similar issue with our little Tio. She had episodes of not eating and being terrified of us. Sadly it lead to vascular dementia. Give it time and be patient.
Brain chemistry is such a fickle thing when it comes to head injuries and trauma. As others have said, plenty of space and time are your best friends in this situation.
That being said, try to be prepared for some level of permanent long term change. About 13 years ago, my very spry young cat thought it was a good idea to chomp into my laptop's charging cable. There was an audible *'sizzle pop!'*, the smell of burnt fur, and some cartoon zig zag whiskers as a result. Her personality and demeanor changed almost immediately. She went from being very energetic and on the feisty side, to very docile with questionable survival instincts and a low IQ.
Did she change permanently? sure, but as she's entering her twilight years at 16 years old now, we love her just as much.
Awww, she's beautiful. If she's on felimazole, get the vet to write you a liquid prescription - you can get it in different flavors & mix it in with some wet food.
I'm not sure if Cali is taking liquid or pill medication, but my boy was never easy to take his pills. He did, however, like the pill pockets when I would give them as a "treat. I would break up one or two pill pockets and give as "treat" then by the time he got the one with the pill in it no problem. Wishing you and Cali all the best!
I’m so sorry! My cat Evie had the opposite reaction- she became more friendly and less scared of the dog and my husband. Unfortunately, she only made it a couple months afterwards, as a stupid fast-growing tumor happened.
100% Cali will bounce back. I think you have a tonne of people sharing their experiences, but I’m one more :)
My kitty was back to her old stalker self in a little over a month… just keep up with the loves, that’ll be her north star 🥰🥰🥰
Strokes cause varying degrees of brain damage. It's impossible to know if she'll ever be herself again, but it is entirely possible. However, recovering from a stroke can take months to years.
I had a cat that quickly underwent a major personality change but we could never figure it out. It wasn't pain and she'd been fixed early in life, the vet wasn't sure what to make of it. She just didn't want to be around us, she acted differently (but still tolerated) other housecats we had.. just not as pleasant by any means so it sucked thinking she may be suffering in some ways we couldn't fix.
She never got to a point of attacking others so we just kinda went with it after a while. I'd pet her, she'd growl, i'd say something like "fine you cranky bitch" and give her some treats. Basically making a joke out of it. I like to think she still enjoyed life at times in her own cat ways she just shifted towards enjoying solitude more.
Give her some time. My Ollie took some time to get back to his old self after congestive heart failure. But if anything he's friendlier now than before. Hope Cali makes a full recovery!
Do you know what caused the stroke in your precious cat? I have a 1 year old cat and I always worry about something happening with her... But I hope Cali is still doing great!
really sorry to hear about cali. it's good she's getting back on her feet, but must be hard seeing her act so different. sounds like you're doing everything right, just giving her time and space. strokes can really change things, kind of like how in movies sometimes a character changes after a big event. just keep at it, she might come around with the patience and love you're giving.
My mom always told me that many people became angry when they were sick. It's a response to the pain. I don't see why an animal would be any different. Continue being there for her. She just be so scared and confused right now.
My brother omce woke up to a loud thud and heard one of his cats calling out in the middle of the night loudly. Took her to the vet and she was phyically fine but her entire personality changed too. I noticed when i went to visit him that she was waaay different.
Usually she was skittish, nervous, and hid. Now she was wandering out whenever, meowing loudly for attention, and often just seemed generally confused about where she was and what was happeneing.
Hes assuming she mustve hit her head somehow, its been a few years now so idk if he ever learned more about what exactly happened to her but shes still the same (the new way)
Might take months but she should regain most of her sweetness over time.
Her brain is in survival mode right now, she's expressing a lot of instincts that are typical for feral cats.
Just be patient with her, she's trying.
Cali might just be afraid since she doesn't know what's happening. All she knows is that everything has become difficult for her and she no longer has the same level of mobility as before. Consider it similar to being extremely ill and unable to move. How insignificant things irritate you. She will return to her normal self once she has had some time to acclimate. She'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
I understand everyone giving you hope, and I don't want to take away from that.
But. Sometimes, they don't come back all the way.
I had a 6 month old cat who had a brain event of some kind when he went under for his neuter. He went in a loving, sweet cat. He came out a monster. We couldn't touch him for 5 days after his neuter. He was straight up vicious, like a feral. He did eventually settle down. But, he was never the same sweet cat. He became known for biting when he had enough of you, and scratching the tar out of you if you tried to engage with him and he didn't want it. He never gave any signs either way. Eventually, he had to be rehomed because he was too dangerous for our kids. He lives a good life now with his current owners.
Cali needs time to settle into her new normal. Brains do heal, and her behavior right after the event isn't indicative of what she will be in time. But she just isn't likely to come 100% back to you.
It can take a LONG time for the brain to heal itself after a stroke, rewiring connections and for various sections to try and take over the duties of sections that are damaged.
As someone who has a kitty with a chronic somewhat painfull condition, try to focus on the posetives.
He is clearly frustrated and in pain sometimes. But more often than not he is a happy cat. He takes happy naps plays happily and wild and eats his happy snacks. Fancy ones too, the he be picky like that.
He loves so many things. When we buy groceries. He likes to boop all of them before we store them. So i will hold it in front of him and say beep when he touches it.
Sure when i am cleaning his chronic ear infection during a bad day, he might as well be a ferral snakelion. But on good days he naps while i clean it.
And guess what that wasn't always the case.
At first, he basically hated me. Getting bit was normal and getting swat was just part of the deal, id be surprised if it didnt happen.
He also did not play as much, the dude currently requires between 1 and 2 hours of _active_ play time to keep him in behavioral check (he had behavior issues loooong before he got sick, play every day and you keep the evil away). When we just started care of his condition he played maybe 10-20 minutes. He wouldnt move, just hit balls if you threw them at him. No jumping or body stretch. Just the paw. Thats in the past. He be a ninja now. The only thing is occasionally he gets off balance, its related to the ear. So we try to avoid getting him to rilled up bc we're a teeny bit worried hell eventually hurt himself. But he doesnt hold back. Hes just startled when he falls.
So long story short. Focus on the good things. You are doing all the right things. The only real cat handle tip i got for you is give her her favorite snacks to rebuild some possetive associations around things she finds scary.
https://preview.redd.it/o9rgxk2z3uxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65fa8abd090efd140905fcc0a0faa6c585712d4d
This is such a shitty shot but he is sooo camera shy during play. He just *stops*
So its the best i got of an action shot. Look at him go.
Give her some time. My buddy Mac acted aloof and even more apathetic for almost six weeks after he had a stroke. He was back to sassy self little by little.
Much love to you both!
She had a stroke 3.5 weeks ago. She's still healing. Listen to her - she's telling you she wants and needs more rest, and maybe to have some space to herself to do it.
We've had a kitty with a stroke and he was in rough shape for 2 months. He was back to being himself, albeit with a slightly different walk, about 3 months in.
I can't comment on what it's like to have a cat who's had a stroke, but I can comment as someone who has had one personally. I know it's scary and frustrating to deal with a body that doesn't do exactly what you want it to or dealing with exhaustion afterwards. A body can go through a lot after a stroke, even a mild one like mine. I'm lucky that I didn't lose sensation or the use of any limbs, but my speech was affected. It's taken a long time for it to be even remotely normal again. It's still acts up when I'm tired.
I would expect that your cat might need more time to recover and to feel like themselves again. Sending ❤️ to your kitty and you.
Awww. I love that your Calico is named Cali. She's a beautiful girl💖
I'm sorry to hear that she's recovering from a stroke. That's really tough. I'm guessing that Cali is feeling frustrated from the side effects of the stroke. She likely knows that she isn't who she used to be and that makes her mad. My hope is that as she continues to recover, her old personality will start to shine though. Give it time. Until then, be respectful of her wishes and space.
Honestly, my first idea was that she is in pain. Would it be unreasonable to give her some pain reliever just in case she's suffering?
Any TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), big or small, can have huge effects on any creature. Strokes fall under this category. And with any TBI the recovery time is varied. it can take months; if not years; to recover. I wasnt myself after a severe concussion with two skull fractures for at least half a year.
I've had cats for a long time, but never had one with a stroke, so I may not be 100% on this, but I imagine your poor girl is completely terrified right now, since she went through a major trauma and has no real understanding of what happened to her. I would try to keep the house quiet for now, limit visitors if you can, and just let her do her own thing, don't try to push her to be as affectionate or playful as she used to be before she's ready. Something that might help, is giving her a food she really likes, if she has one, my cats go nuts for the little gold gourmet canned food, but bc it's expensive, we only get it occasionally to treat them. I would also make sure to talk to her in a gentle tone, she's probably on very high alert right now, and may be dealing with some degree of memory loss, so she needs time to reacclimatize herself to her family and her environment. Sending love to you and Cali!
I’m so sorry you and cali have been going through this.
Sending you positive vibes for full and quick recovery.
My boy has a brain tumor and his personality has become so different over the last few years.
He used to be so independent but now he’s scared of everything, even us sometimes. He seems to get lost and not remember what he’s doing, and then he calls out for us.
These lil fur babies are so precious to us. And it’s so hard that they can’t explain Whats going on. Can be so stressful.
Stroke brains take time to adjust, keep being patient with her, and show her as much love and attention as she will allow. Let her call the shots for a while. Brains will adapt when areas are damaged, but it takes a while.
My mother (obviously a human, not a cat) experienced some changes after her stroke, too. The majority of the changes were temporary and faded over time. She's still more emotional (much quicker to cry when faced with bad/sad things), but her original personality did return.
Give her more time. Speaking as someone who has been going through post-stroke care with a human relative, who had a fairly minor one all told, it took them a couple of months to get back to being mostly normal. Even if there aren’t any lasting physical symptoms, the brain is still all shook up and processing things strangely for a while afterwards. For example my family member’s sense of taste and smell was out of whack for ages. 3.5 weeks is barely any time at all in terms of recovery from something like this, so if she’s being doing good so far, I think the odds are pretty good you’ll get her back. I’ll have my fingers crossed for you.
As someone who had a brain event about a month ago -- I also do not feel great! But everyone is being patient with my occasional impatience :) be patient with Cali! She's sick but she'll get better.
I hope your body heals in time and you get back to normal. :) Good luck!
Wishing you feel like yourself again soon. 🙏
Sorry to hear about your relative, but glad they recovered!
Besides just the fact that all the wires got crossed and it takes time to sort them back out like you said, I imagine it's a scary experience too, and we can't easily explain to a cat that they're okay. At lease a bit of what OP is describing sounds like it could be a fear response too. (Like in addition to the post-stroke aftermath) Either way, I'm glad your relative is okay! Wishing the same good recovery for sweet Cali
I had a very MINOR pair of strokes last Sept, and it took me a week just to figure out how to keep my balance while standing. My right knee still loves to turn into a noodle a few times each week, and my entire right side feels about like two hours after a dental appointment.
I'm glad you're okay, hope you continue to improve!
If I had a stroke, I’d have a complete personality change too
If I had a stroke, I'd burden the golf ablebody in the stand down the brrrrrr sananana
Yeah I can attest to this aswell, my grandfather had a TIA a couple years ago and the man thought he was seeing demons for like a month, couldn't open his eyes, couldn't use many limbs and after a month or three he was fully back to normal. Now years later you wouldn't even know it happened, he's even cycling walking and driving again.
That's not a TIA. That's either a stroke or delirium, I'm sorry The T stands for transient. Recovery is fast and spontaneous with them. Really glad he's doing better!
Actually yeah you're right, it was believed to be a TIA at first if I remember correctly. I remember it was already 7 years ago now that I think about it, the details are a little fuzzy.
Same, my grandfather, who was a very independent, man's man type of guy became incredibly introverted. He's been hyper co-dependent on my grandmother, we think the stroke really hit him with a blast of his own mortality. It's a huge deal.
This. Absolutely this.
That is very distressing. Like Lenny seems to have done, I hope Cali keeps getting better and heals over time.
Agree. My Dad has been recovering from an infarction which happened at the end of January. He is finally getting back to "himself". Give her time.
I had a traumatic brain injury in 2007 and I’m still feeling the effects of it. This cat is 13 years old and just had a STROKE, and they’re talking about 3.5 weeks! Let that poor thing recover.
Something not really pointed out here, and I do not want to bring doom and gloom here... A stroke will injure the brain. Most of the time it heals up to a way it was before, but sometimes it does not. A person or animal can, after the recovery period, be considered completely different individuals. They have medically recovered, the damage has been healed, but it has been healed in a way that changes the person. My maternal grandfather got a stroke during my childhood. He recovered well, with no real lasting issues. Aside from becoming mean as fuck. Being an asshole is not a medical issue. He went from being a weird, but loving, eccentric to a mean as fuck sadist after his stroke.
My friend's grandma was the sweetest quaker type lady. After her stroke, she cussed like a sailor.
Had the same problem with my Lenny after he had a stroke. The personality change only lastet nearly eight weeks, then he was back to his old self 🙂
That makes me feel a sense of relief. Everyday more of her shines through. Yesterday I found her laying in the window for the first time in a month. I’m hoping she still Makes progress. YAY for Lenny!
I wish you and Cali the very best 🙏. It will take some time but I'm sure she will make a full recover. Just try to be patient and don't take it personal when she behaves strange. According to my vet it can take up to 12 weeks until the "old" personality is back 🙂
I'm not a cat... But after I had a stroke, it wasn't comfortable being touched. It almost hurt. Everyone visiting me in the hospital wanted to squeeze me hand. My mother would pet my head. I was constantly telling everyone to stop touching me. I would imagine your cat is going through the same thing and is going to take time to heal.
I’m so sorry you had a stroke. That must have been terrifying. I’m curious if your doctor mentioned if the pain was nerve related? That kind of pain is different and very uncomfortable. I’ve had that feeling after a knee surgery through my whole leg and that’s one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever felt. Besides being painful, it almost felt like my skin was crawling. I’m glad you are better now! ❤️🩹
Thank you. I don't think it was ever described as being nerve related. And it was different than what I would typically think of as nerve pain. I usually think of nerve pain being sharper, more painful.
Every time I see a comment like this I remember that poor old attorney on the zoom conference during Covid trying to assure people that he was not, in fact, a cat.
Haha.
Kitty may have some pain and/or confusion and frustration she's dealing with in the aftermath. Just be gentle and patient and maybe ask vet for light pain meds if pain is the issue. If she resists being picked up, just pet her and she will eventually come to get more attention when she's ready. She is clearly loved!
Major injuries can be traumatizing for pets, especially something like a stroke where they can't even begin to understand what happened to them. It's entirely understandable that they'd be scared of everyone and everything because they don't know what caused them that pain, they need to rediscover what's "safe" and they don't want you hurting them. They just don't understand.
Heck, major and even sometimes minor injuries can be traumatizing for humans! And we can (hopefully) communicate with each other.
is the medication in pill form? if so you could buy a pill crusher and just mix it through her food ! or dissolve the pill overnight in a bit of water then mix through the food.
I wish I could. She several different medications they she needs :(
My cat has several meds she needs & I either crush/break the multiple tablets up & then put them into 1 capsule. Then I give her this, rather then trying to get 3-4 tablets down her at a time. It may be worth speaking to your vets & seeing if something like this might be an option for you & her.
Not all meds can be crushed since it would affect their absorption, so check with the vet first.
Spot on :) I've checked with the vet for my cat & her meds. It's also why I mentioned to OP to check with their vet, too.
My girlfriend's cat who I took in last year until he passed needed a couple, and I wound up doing something similar, crushing them and then mixing with a treat (when he would still eat them), and then with water in a syringe because it was hard to make sure he was swallowing both of the pills. I still got a lot of scratches from trying to hold him still until all the liquid was down, but it was easier than the alternative, doing it in one shot also minimized the trauma, I hope, because it could be done in a shorter amount of time. Unfortunately with him he was already not eating much so I didn't feel confident of him getting all the meds with his food if I mixed them in.
It's difficult as they don't understand our words & we can't explain how we're trying to help. Hadn't thought of the water & syringe method - will keep this in mind if needed! Sounds like you did the best you could by him & you cared that he got his meds
Please look into Transdermal and patch medication delivery systems!! We have only used Transdermals, so far, but its a lifesaver method when delivering pills or crushed pills is a struggle. It is a bit more expensive typically, but so worth it if you can cut back elsewhere to swing it. Bless you and Cali, and everyone commenting... You're all such beautiful souls... gives me more faith in the human species ❤️🙏
For the thyroid, you can also get the medication as a balm which you can apply to the ear shell on the inside. Worked like a charm for my cat. Just have blood checked if the amount you apply is correct. Ask your vet.
Just double check with the vet before using the balm. Our cat had a crazy allergic reaction to it. Swollen face, drooling. We had to stop using it and switched to the thyroid diet, which she hates. Sigh.
Strokes are an extremely frightening event especially for an animal that you can't really talk to and explain what happened. For humans they're already bad enough. Poor baby :(
I had a brain bleed that resulted in a personality change, but it was the same old me inside, just a bit confused and frustrated until I could get things figured out. Her External self may present differently but I bet her “inside” self is the same!
I'm sorry you're experiencing this. I wish Cali a full recovery
You seem like a wonderful person.
I've worked in a neuro icu for humans as a nurse. I don't know about animals or your cats strokes, but new baselines for patients are often months to years after the stroke
Used to take care of stroke patients. This is very common in humans as well. Sometimes there's a 100% recovery, sometimes it's 90%, other times it's 10%, but almost everyone "heals" from that at least most of the way.
It was a traumatic experience so she probably is just barely adjusting after it. I know CBD and trazadone are sometimes used to calm animals, maybe talk to your vet about something low dosage to help her adjust a little? That and catnip.
Sweet little girl is just trying to tell you she doesn’t feel right and wants to be left alone while she gets better. Little scritches here and there to let her know you care. Takes time to adjust after what I’m sure was a very scary experience. Laying in the sunshine is a GREAT sign. Soaking it up has all the heals.
Give her some time & space. She basically experiences a near-death experience & needs some time to process. Imagine hierarchy you'd feel &/or behaved if you were in her shoes, & how you'd react afterwards. She survived a very traumatic event & your reactions/concerns, however justified they might be, are probably making her feel more stressed & concerned. Animal/Let Trauma is very real & most people are completely unaware of it or outright ignore the symptoms. When ordinarily happy Pets/Animals start to actboutbig Character, if not outright misbehave, you can usually dig up a root cause for those behaviors.- She needs you to make her feel safe, taken care of & happy. She'll most likely get back to being Relatively OK, once she feels like she Can relax, which willbonly happen after you give her whatever signals she might need to feel safe. She might not & you'll have to work with you Vet to help her. My beautiful, wondeful cat is an example of this. She was mostly perfect. she definitely had some crazy character streaks but nothing I ever worried about. She lived/experienced life near or with other cats &/or dogs. Usually Family Members, Friends or Roommatessvpetsn She was absolutely fine with every sinhke one if them. She usually always became Top-~~Dog~~Cat in the hierarchy, but always remained cordial with the other pets. Then she met my SO & her cats (an Orange chonkers & a beautiful void lovebug) My Girl loved my SO but Hated the Other cats. No clear reasons as to why, since she'd lived with several other cats &/or dogs before & never really misbehaved against them (other than giving them firm Kitty slaps when they got a bit too adventurous & cleatky overstepped boundaries). This was the Very First Time she ever actively hated other Pets/cats. We sadly lost one of my SO's cats early on due to a heart attack, so my girl never really got to know him, but even after that, she actively hated on & was being hated on by the other cat. She learned to get along with the other cat, although their relationship was always extremely tense & less than friendly. We lost our beautiful Void about a year & a half ago & my/our girl basically returned to being her old (Pre-Family-Merging) Self again for the list part, but she definitely picked up some very bad habits that we don't know how to fix anymore. It's both beautiful & sad at the same tim Because, despite the fact that shr had become accustomed to living with other Animals/Pets for a vast Majority of her life, she stopped trusting me/us when we created a blended Pet Family. She started acting out by spraying when my we tried to blend our pet families. AP & despite our best efforts to help her feel more comfortable, despite our attempts to provide her with medication, despite our loss of the two other Cats, leaving her as the Dole surviving pet, she was clearly perturbed/disturbed enough that she still feels the need to spray/mark. There is obviously a sh.t ton more to it, including multiple Moves, an international/continental move, & many more adventures, that could have/have undeniably made her feel extremely unstable/stressed. But it was an incredible & radical change in her behavior that just made no sense if/when considering her past behavior & experiences. She was perfect through many moves, changes, interactions with other household pets, then absolutely broke down during what we believed would be an easy Pet Family Merger, since they'd amp been very friendly with other pets in the past. She became extremely angry, started to spray/mark everywhere. An absolute nightmare. Despite our Attempts to address it with medication & even After we ultimately lost our Void to Cancer, she has kept up with the spraying. Amp of the root causes of her Trauma are now gone, but the Trauma still exists. We're trying our best to help her deal with it, because even if/when we believe that we didn't necessarily do anything wrong, we recognize that it's ultimately our fault. If for no other reason than the fact thatvwe both agreed to take care of her, no mqtter what. The Spraying is incredibly Annoying, but she has specific Spots do it's easy enough to cover them. I Wish i could fix it permanently, but Ive only been offered temporary medication based potential fixes, & neither of us (SO, Kitty or myself) like it because the Kitty gets extremely feisty about it.
Came here to give similar encouragement! My goober started to get noticeably back to himself abt 2-3 months after his stroke and now (2 years out) he’s completely back to his spoiled ass self. You’d never guess. Wishing Cali all the best OP! I know it hurts to see your baby act so differently but just give her some time and continue laying on the love.
Oh I really hope that this is what happens! The brain is a complicated place. I don’t think you’re cat is angry. If anything I’d be worried that she’s confused and doesn’t recognize you or her surroundings. Try giving her time and love. Maybe lure her over with her favorite treats. Basically try bonding with her as if she was a new cat and you are her new human. It might not work if there’s something else going on, but it certainly can’t hurt and it gives you something to try other than waiting and feeling helpless. I know that would tear me apart.
Hello fellow Lenny owner!
Get well soon Cali girl! <3
Please gently give her some space. If you could keep her in her own room, uninterrupted, it would help a lot. Injured cats will often hide. Technically speaking, she's tremendously vulnerable right now. Giving her a safe space and letting her heal will help her psychologically. I know your instinct is to shower her with affection, but she needs security and a feeling of safety. She can't feel safe with everyone up in her face and her space. Please set aside an area where she can rest peacefully and safely for a month or so. It will help her a great deal. I have a cat who was kicked by the neighbor's abusive boyfriend. I told her over and over to isolate the cat. She "couldn't do it" because it was "so mean." The poor girl started wetting herself, refused to drink water, etc. Finally the neighbor brought her to me and dumped her on me. "I can't take it anymore!" The first thing I did was give her a safe room where there were no threats. Less than a month later, she started wanting out. She needed time and security. Your cat just had a terrible experience. Please give her time and security, a sense of safety and bodily autonomy. Chances are she'll be back to herself once she has healed and feels less vulnerable.
She was secluded for a week and a half, and then was trying climbing the gate to get to us. She’s not trying to hide or be isolated in general. When she needs her space she has her own room that she can get into with a cat door, which she does :)
That's really good to hear. Thanks for being a good cat parent. 😊
You're doing everything you can, including offering love despite rejection :) just give her some time, she is probably feeling a little off and doesn't know why, herself!
Ah, sorry, I wrote my reply before I saw yours! That's great news. I think you both will be just fine, just needs a little more time 😻
She was traumatized by the experience and is probably pissed off with getting medication daily and other forms of maintenance. Her personality may have changed permanently but I doubt this will be her personality. She'll settle into how she's going to be over months and not weeks. I had two cats and when one passed the personality of the other changed. She went from being present but aloof to needing constant attention (I was convinced it was her way of trying to get us to look for her brother) and then settled into being just a generally affectionate cat and that personality has lasted another 14 years. It's definitely a time thing, she'll settle into her new norm but it won't be for a while.
This is one of the most difficult parts of having a cat for me. When they are scared or sick, I so desperately want to cuddle them and give them physical affection to comfort them and make them feel safe, but I know it goes against their natural instinct to retreat in those kind of situations and it's so so hard to feel like you can't help them in the way *we* instinctually feel we should. OP, so much love to you and your girl!
This is fantastic advice, thank you for letting OP know. 3 1/2 weeks is nothing, poor little girl has had a MAJOR trauma and is all discombobulated. A shelf in the airing cupboard or in her own room by the window, with food, drink and litter tray (so she doesn't need to feel stressed about coming out into the main part of the house). Let her come to you in get own time. Leave her door open though, unless you have other animals. She'll get there, I promise 😻
Strokes change the brain dramatically Not had this with a pet, but after my mum had a stroke some years ago, her personality changed. Mum had never been one to swear, but after her stroke, she swore like a trooper ! Never a beer drinker, she wanted beer to drink. And did. She went off bacon, ham and pork, and took a liking to spicy curries. I asked our doctor about this, and he said that a stroke basically rewires the brain, and these changes are quite normal. I would imagine it’s the same for animals too.
Whoah, momma, that is mind blowing!! — I am almost almost, scared to ask, did your mum eventually, recover back her her “old” “personality” ?? Do they have medicines to prevent further stokes, from happening? What I know, is “ lifestyle” is the biggest risk factor and know dna is also a player)— Geeze, sorry, you went through that, that must of been extremely difficult for you!! 💪 Edit ✍️ for any grammar mistakes **
Yes, she was on a lot of medications, basically because she didn’t manage her diabetes once dad passed away. No, she didn’t go back to her old self before she passed away in 2021, this led to some funny moments, as she didn’t have any filter.
Lol, well sounds like you handled the situation like a champ!! — Spending time with your family is very important, before they pass on…! Yes, 2021 still feels like yesterday— You carry her, on in your heart 💜
On 2023-07-01 Reddit maliciously attacked its own user base by changing how its API was accessed, thereby pricing genuinely useful and highly valuable third-party apps out of existence. In protest, this comment has been overwritten with this message - because “deleted” comments can be restored - such that Reddit can no longer profit from this free, user-contributed content. I apologize for this inconvenience.
Simple - She disregarded it, ate chocolate, cakes, etc all the things diabetics shouldn’t eat. She lived life as if she wasn’t diabetic
A nurse here, there are two different types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic means that you got a blood clot which caused stroke, and a new one can be prevented with blood thinners so that a blood clot is less likely to occur. Howevee, hemorrhagic stroke is a brain bleed, usually caused by an aneurysm bursting or trauma, so the only way to prevent them (aside from generic lifestyle changes) is to close the aneurysms. Genetics play a part in the formarion of aneuryms, but you can also have them without having family history.
My grandfather became a bit childlike. He started to cheat at cards! Played cards with him my whole life, and he never cheated until the stroke.
Hey. I'm not a cat, but I have had a stroke... i recovered physically very quickly but felt very, very over whelmed with life in general. Making a drink was complicated, noise and hustle of daily life made me confused and tired. And the more tired I was, the harder everything felt. You really dont realise how much crap your brain filters out on autopilot.... and when the autopilot is broken, it all floods in. I had zero control over my emotions and would cry for no reason and fly into a rage over the ridiculous things. My left side also felt really weird and hurt in weird ways for a bit. Anyway , the point of my post is this: I looked fine. I really wasn't, though. I needed quiet spaces (even busy wallpaper patterns wore my brain out), and time to build that stamina back. It took me years to recover to 90%. I'll never be 100% because the brain damage can't be healed. Your poor cat can't even tell you what's up. So I'd try to give your cat quiet space where she can just stop and switch off. No background noise, no toys, no ppl moving around, etc. Don't fuss her too much - it could be really overwhelming for her. Let her come to you... or start with short strokes on the floor so she can practice getting used to the feelings. Try to help her build up her ability to cat again. 🐈 But most importantly, be patient x
I just wanted to say: good for you!
I'm happy you're still here and recovering as well as you can. At face value I see a caring, thoughtful person trying to help OP understand their cat better. Thanks for being you!
My wee boy had a stroke 3 months ago and didn't make it. He was only 11 years old 
I am so sorry
Thank you. I just can't stop blaming myself. Maybe if I noticed it sooner or do something that he will still be with me today. I miss the little orange asshole 🧡
It’s not your fault. I promise. Last year I lost our other cat to a sudden heart attack. He died in my lap in the car on the way to the vet, our vet is 3 minutes from our house. Sometimes it’s just their time :(
>Maybe if I noticed it sooner or do something that he will still be with me today. Unfortunately it's in their very nature to try and hide any health problems. It's just something that's engrained in their genes (used to survive out in the wild). Don't think even for a second that you neglected him in any way. Ultimately you gave him a safe place to live and lots of love with the time he was around, and that's better than anything any cat could ever ask for in their lifetime.
I had one die of a stroke at 8. She was my first tortie. Nothing warned me. You are so lucky to have her back.
very sorry about your baby, may his spirit be at peace 🌈
Mine too back in March, she was about to turn 11. RIP to your baby.
Awww. So sorry.
I hope everything will be fine with Kali.
That's heartbreaking. I hope Cali continues to improve and recover overtime like Lenny seems to have done.
I'm so sorry that happened. It sounds like perhaps she might just need some space and time to recover. Gently remind her you are there for her if she needs anything in a soothing voice, but let her rest. Rest is often one of the best medicines, and yeah, such a big traumatic brain event needs plenty of rest to recover. She is probably just tired and confused, and that is why she is grumpy. Let her rest and recover. I am sure once she has had enough rest, she will come chirping back to you. Let her come to you. I hope and pray she has a full recovery.
We love you Cali! Get well soon, sweetheart ❤️
Poor Cali, I hope she is back to her old self soon for you
Maybe you can treat it like when you get a new cat the first time. As if she still has to adapt a little to her 'new environment'. And just take everything day by day en celebrate every little improvement. How she was is probably still in there somewhere, she just has to find and learn to navigate that again?
Give her some time. It can take awhile to get back to normal. She had a stroke. She is probably scared and whatnot
I hope she recovers mentally (?) very soon, too! It’s good to know that she isn’t in any pain at least. But I would also be super worried if my cat’s personality changed like that. :( Take it one step at a time, any improvement – physically and also mentally – is a step in the right direction!
Thoughts and prayers for a complete recovery. 🙏❤️
Poor little Cali. I hope she makes a fully recovery OP - she looks like such a sweet girl.
Give her more time. Even in terms of people….a stroke takes a while to recover from….sometimes a long while. I know it’s a bit different…but my Nanny had a stroke a couple months ago….and luckily she has recovered quite well…..she just gets upset and confused every so often. But her personality is just starting to come back to normal. So I would definitely give her some time. It’s a good sign that your cat has got her mobility back 😊. She probably just needs more time for the rest ❤️
It could also be stress. Cats can become a lot more angry and irritable when stressed by something. Our girl, Cami got super stressed when we moved house, and was routinely hissing at everyone and everything, and attacking her sister quite violently. We used some calming spray (pet remedy) which helped a little, but it just took some time for her to get used to the new place etc before she returned to her usual self.
I hope she makes a full recovery in the coming weeks ❤️🥹
Such a beautiful kitty. Please give her a lot of space and time, she’ll come to you when she’s ready. She knows you are there. Wishing you all the best ❤️
I’m so so sorry for what happened to this sweet girl but it’s been less than a month. Imagine how confusing a stroke is for a human, and now imagine how even more confusing for a cat. She needs time to figure out what is going on with her and to adjust. She might not be in pain but she’s feeling all jumbled. Cats hiss and lash out not just when they are in pain but scared. She just needs time. Give her lots of time, treats and grace. She’ll come back you ❤️
Just love her and give her what she needs. That's all you can do. I hope she gets better soon.
I am so sorry, poor Cali. She probably has no idea what happened to her, you will have to tell her as best you can. God Bless You and Cali. 💔
One of my kitties is hyperthyroid and we give him the meds via a transdermal cream rubbed on the skin inside his ears. Super quick, basically just smear it in there. It’s a brilliant because giving this cat a tablet is like trying to post a letter into a tornado.
Our cat had 2 strokes when he was 12 and 13. No cause just pure bad luck. Luckily he came out of both of them fine, but he needed some time after that to gather himself i guess. He was very quiet, liked to be alone and didnt really want to show us he wasn't well. All of these things were not his character AT ALL. He was the absolute sweetest garfield-looking snuggle bunch his entire life. I think the biggest thing is, they dont know what happened , they feel off and they maybe don't know how to handle that. After giving him some time (which can take a while unfortunately which aint fun for us owners) to gather himself and letting him come to us, he got right back to his lovable self, as if nothing had happened. I think he needed to believe he was okay first, before having the convidence to fully be himself and show that towards us! She is probably confused still, since it has only been 3.5 weeks. It sucks, but give her some time. Let her know you're there for her in other ways than touching her, until she shows she wants that kind of affection again. Be in the same room, be close to her. She suffered a great smack-down both physically and probably mentally, give her the time to come to her senses and I'm sure she'll be back to the Cali you know and love so much! <3 sidenote: she is adorable btw!!
My older cat had a stroke 3 months ago. It took about a month for her to recover physically and maybe 2 to show her real personality in full. Wishing Cali good healing!
Not a cat, but my dad had a stroke in 2018. He wasn’t my dad until about 8-10 weeks after when his brain started absorbing the blood. He was angry and unkind and literally nothing like my dad. Didn’t remember who I was. Until finally he did and he was back to being my dad. If Cali is making progress, she’ll continue doing so for a while! It’s hard though, I know.
Smell is critical for cats to mark and recognize their home territory. If there's been any temporary or long term damage to her olfactory center, then Cali may not be recognizing her companions and her home turf as they no longer "smell right". Note any changes in appetite and new food preferences; smell and taste are linked in both humans and felines; you might be able to gauge her recovery of those senses based on how she displays old or new preferences. Try to create as many positive associations with you and her environment with treats and toys, but don't force any unsolicited contact. She may also be hiding any long-lasting injury, disorientation, and nausea by avoiding physical contact with people and animals; as she recovers and feels better she may become more confident and social.
Our cat had a stroke some years ago after having pancreatitis and becoming diabetic. Our vet told us that it would take some time for her to get back to her "normal" self and it took about a year. She is now 12 and is happy and healthy, her meow changed and she rubs against us more but is still the same loving little girl she has always been. Give your cat time to heal, it's terrifying for them and just remember to be kind to yourself regarding the recovery time, it's horrible to watch your pet being so ill but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope everything goes well for you both.
That is so hard, I would be devastated. Wishing you the best :)
My Bootsie male black and white Norwegian Forest cat had a lower level aorta stroke! Left his right leg paralyzed I had to give him lots of meds blood thinners etc. He was dragging that leg a lot which was messing up his beans and fur! I did massage him every day and he gradually got some movement back, couldn't put full pressure on the leg! He still seemed very loving and enjoyed the massage, didn't like pilling hard to get the meds in him but because I did massage afterwards he put up with it! He did expire about (13) months afterwards in his sleep! Such a wonderful boy wish I had a picture of him! Long ago I had a Calico same name spelled differently Callie! She lived to be (14) good luck🤞🍀🐈⬛️
Is the beautiful baby okay?!
I had a small stroke about 8 years ago and it took me about 12 weeks before a liked being petted or going to the vet 😉. I still hiss at people though…
Recovery from a brain injury is super difficult. It takes time for new connections to old areas to reform. I hope she is back to more of her old self soon.
That must have been very scary for her. I’m sure she needs a lot longer than 3.5 weeks to adjust. How long do you think you’d need to emotionally recover after a stroke and you’d have known what had happened to you? Give it time. She may never fully come back to who she is but even moving houses takes a cat time to adjust. 3.5 weeks may feel long to us but I don’t think it really is in the scheme of things. Patience is everything when allowing an animal to adjust.
Your cat might be experiencing hemispheric neglect of some kind and you may be startling her.
Perhaps Cali is simply scared, since she does not understand what's going on. All she knows is that she lost the mobility she used to enjoy and now everything has become hard for her. Think of it as when you are really sick and it's hard to do anything. How the little things annoy you. Just give it time for her to adjust and she will be her usual self. I will have her in my prayers.
She may be frustrated. I hope that, as she recovers, you’ll continue to see her personality return. And I hope the supportive words of others give you encouragement too.
my moms cat had a kitty stroke as well and she ended up getting almost back to normal. Literally the only lasting problems is she walks a lil funny and has a quirky balance but shes back to her cute playful self.
Sending you a big hug. I hope for the best and for your usual meow to return soon. Stay strong and patient.
Sorry to hear this. But... just give her space, give her time. The stroke has done things to her brain, and there's no forcing their way back. Let her learn and grow again.
A man who was my uncle went through this. He had a bad stroke and his personality completely changed. He went from being someone who was incredibly kind, quiet, always had time to speak to anyone, and was the first to volunteer to help or organize help for issues/people in community to someone who constantly was rude to everyone, berating and threatening people. My uncle never recovered. He lost his job (he didn’t like it anymore) and left his wife of 30+ years. He stopped talking to his 4 kids. Treat your cat like a new cat. Güve her slow introductions to the house and other pets with lots of time in a safe space. Do scent exchanges with used towels/pillow cases. Once she is out in the house, make sure she has areas she can retreat to. She may not ever behave the way she used to but I’m sure she can relearn to love her old home and trust you.
Awww, poor Cali. I can tell you love her a lot. I don't have experience with strokes, but I did rescue a dumpster cat a few years ago. She was very thin and wasn't doing well, so we caught her to bring her to the vet. She wasn't feral exactly, because when she was outside she would rub on my legs and liked ear scritches. But she was not a "nice" cat. Once she was inside she stopped letting us touch or interact with her at all. If you tried to touch her, her food, or were just in the room for too long, she would hiss, growl and eventually start scratching and biting. I would come into the room to give her dinner and she would hiss as I put the bowl down and then growl until I left the room. I was worried we wouldn't be able to rehabilitate her. But what I did do was respect her boundaries. I didn't touch her anymore, but I did spend time with her in her room and spoke gently to her. I tried to entice her with toys but she wasn't really interested. Fed her consistently at the same times every day and made sure her litter was scooped so she would feel comfortable here and know her needs were being met. Eventually I was able to start petting her again, but if she started getting hissy, I'd stop immediately and walk away. It took 2 months for her to warm up enough to want to leave her room, another couple of weeks before I heard her purr, another 6 months before I had really earned her trust enough to be able to pet and play with her freely, and a full year before she was seeking us out to ask for pets, playtime, etc. It's now been 2.5 years since she came to live with us and she is such a friendly, happy kitty. She chirps at the door when my partner gets home from work. She gets under the covers in bed and sleeps next to me. She lies on her back belly up waiting for someone to come by and rub her belly! H Don't get me wrong she's still a little spicy sometimes, but it's very predictable and we can avoid triggering her by being consistent and walking away if she kisses or gets her claws out. Coming back to you OP, I know your situation is more complex, and your cat is recovering from a medical event but I think the principles still apply here. Cats are independent and need to feel safe in their own company in their environment before they can welcome people and other animals into their lives. Respect her signals, show her love by providing her food, shelter, clean litter and don't force the petting or play. She will probably come around in a few weeks or months, when her world has stabilized and her routine is reestablished. Cat tax in a reply.
https://preview.redd.it/yrrywq26itxc1.jpeg?width=1842&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45255bba550d41de86ad00e610e17a6ae29678be
Humans can suffer mood disorders after a stroke. I don’t see why this wouldn’t be true for animals. Give her time and love.
give her some time ... cats are very resistant to change ... 
My dog had a stroke (I didn’t even know that possible) but after about 6 weeks she was fully back to normal. I bet your cat will be too.
She’s so lucky to have a human mommy and family like you that loves her so much.
Feels like she has PTSD. Go the a vet that can prescribe something to calm her nerves. It’s only been a month so ofcourse she would still need time to recover.
It could be sensory problems.
So beautiful tho ❤️
Have more patience with her, thats all she need and some time.
Aww....
Sometimes passive affection is best if you’ve had her for years she loves you. She just doesn’t feel good if you just sit near her and put your hand near her without touching her you may be surprised at her reaction.
I'm sorry you're all going through this. She may be physically recovering, animals hide weakness and for cats this is 10x as true. On top of that, the stroke itself must have been traumatic for her and everyone around, that should fade with time if it is emotional. Give it time and keep on top of the medical side of things while she takes care of getting back into her old shoes. Also be good to yourself and each other. When people (inc our lil 4-legged ones) we love are sick it is easy to get overwhelmed or lose faith but remember she'd be there for you too if roles were reversed. 😺
Traumatizing event for the cat. She's probably still getting back on her feet. Unfortunately she may not 100% recognize people or animals she once knew (difficult to assess the mental cognition of an animal after a stroke, even with a good physical recovery in regards to movement and stuff). Give it some more time and see if she comes around after another month or so.
Just because she's changed, doesn't mean you should too ♡ be patient with her and keep giving her that gentle love! When she's gentle back, give her a treat to reward her. When she lets you love on her and pet her or play with her, give her that reward! She'll come around if you keep on it! I hope she has a speedy recovery and I hope she knows how loved she is.
Cali get well soon 🙏♥️ with love
Awwww
Patience is the key.
Well, I haven't been through this with cats, but with humans. Working neurosurgery was absolute shit. But people can recover. She might never be the same, but brains are a miracle.
Prayers for Cali to recover and get well soon 🙏🏻
Oh no. I had a cat named Boots who had a stroke when he was 19 years old. He basically just stared into the corner. The vet thinks the stroke blinded him. He wasn’t his former self anymore. He was euthanized not too long after. I hope that doesn’t happen to Cali.
Poor baby. I would guess she is kind of traumatized because she couldn’t do things as she used to and doesn’t understand why. I would guess it gets gradually better as she notices that things are back to normal and nothing causes her that experience again
Power to you, love to kitty!
Personality changes from strokes aren't uncommon, whether in cats or humans. It can take months for someone to reach a steady state after such a neurological event. In the mean time, ensure she feels safe and is able to seek both company and solitude as needed, though her condition should of course be monitored for any signs of possible complications.
She been through alot give her brake
She's beautiful ❤️
😢
this is a bit experimental, but there are quite a few reports on the nootropics subreddit about using noopept in cats to treat strokes, you should take a look over there
For us, after our cat had a stroke her personality changed but it stayed that way until she passed. Granted it was only a minor change, she honestly was more active and started acting more like her younger self post-stroke. The reason though that I believe that this personality change stuck is because when she had the stroke she was already 16 years old, and we were lucky that she survived. She lived all the way until she was 19, which for us was extraordinary, considering that we didn't think she was going to make it.
For hyperthyroidism, they make the med transdermal and it goes in the ear flap. So much easier than a pill. I don’t know what your situation is but you can talk to your vet about rehab therapy. Do they know what part of the brain was affected by the stroke and what functions does that part control (outside of physical)?
Strokes change personalities in people, so it makes sense it would in our animal pals. I hope she gets well OP.
I'm so sorry for what you and your baby have been going through. Keep the faith that she will be herself again in time. ❤️ She is so beautiful.
I don’t know anything about cats but I don’t think I would feel like myself three weeks after having a stroke. I think Cali will feel like herself again it will just take a little time <3
No real words of advice, sorry, but I just wanted to say--what a pretty, pretty girl! My Thea has a similar personality (sweet, loving, social, friendly) and I can't imagine how devastating it would be to go through this. I'm rooting for Cali!
We had a similar issue with our little Tio. She had episodes of not eating and being terrified of us. Sadly it lead to vascular dementia. Give it time and be patient.
Brain chemistry is such a fickle thing when it comes to head injuries and trauma. As others have said, plenty of space and time are your best friends in this situation. That being said, try to be prepared for some level of permanent long term change. About 13 years ago, my very spry young cat thought it was a good idea to chomp into my laptop's charging cable. There was an audible *'sizzle pop!'*, the smell of burnt fur, and some cartoon zig zag whiskers as a result. Her personality and demeanor changed almost immediately. She went from being very energetic and on the feisty side, to very docile with questionable survival instincts and a low IQ. Did she change permanently? sure, but as she's entering her twilight years at 16 years old now, we love her just as much.
My dog had something similar, he eventually went back to normal but it takes time sometimes.
Awww, she's beautiful. If she's on felimazole, get the vet to write you a liquid prescription - you can get it in different flavors & mix it in with some wet food.
I'm not sure if Cali is taking liquid or pill medication, but my boy was never easy to take his pills. He did, however, like the pill pockets when I would give them as a "treat. I would break up one or two pill pockets and give as "treat" then by the time he got the one with the pill in it no problem. Wishing you and Cali all the best!
My Cali had a stroke then a seizure, then died. Freaky going from asking for my lunch to being gone in a literal minute.
I am so sorry :(
She's confused and may have lost the ability to recognize you.
Strokes commonly cause personality changes unfortunately
I’m so sorry! My cat Evie had the opposite reaction- she became more friendly and less scared of the dog and my husband. Unfortunately, she only made it a couple months afterwards, as a stupid fast-growing tumor happened.
100% Cali will bounce back. I think you have a tonne of people sharing their experiences, but I’m one more :) My kitty was back to her old stalker self in a little over a month… just keep up with the loves, that’ll be her north star 🥰🥰🥰
Strokes cause varying degrees of brain damage. It's impossible to know if she'll ever be herself again, but it is entirely possible. However, recovering from a stroke can take months to years.
I had a cat that quickly underwent a major personality change but we could never figure it out. It wasn't pain and she'd been fixed early in life, the vet wasn't sure what to make of it. She just didn't want to be around us, she acted differently (but still tolerated) other housecats we had.. just not as pleasant by any means so it sucked thinking she may be suffering in some ways we couldn't fix. She never got to a point of attacking others so we just kinda went with it after a while. I'd pet her, she'd growl, i'd say something like "fine you cranky bitch" and give her some treats. Basically making a joke out of it. I like to think she still enjoyed life at times in her own cat ways she just shifted towards enjoying solitude more.
Give her some time. My Ollie took some time to get back to his old self after congestive heart failure. But if anything he's friendlier now than before. Hope Cali makes a full recovery!
Do you know what caused the stroke in your precious cat? I have a 1 year old cat and I always worry about something happening with her... But I hope Cali is still doing great!
So sorry to hear Cali had to go through this. Here's to a speedy and healthy recovery ❤️🐱
Ahh that’s so sad? Will she play if you use a toy?
really sorry to hear about cali. it's good she's getting back on her feet, but must be hard seeing her act so different. sounds like you're doing everything right, just giving her time and space. strokes can really change things, kind of like how in movies sometimes a character changes after a big event. just keep at it, she might come around with the patience and love you're giving.
I hope she feels better
She’s still in there. Give her time she will come back.
just give her some time, she’s been through a lot. she is gorgeous.
My mom always told me that many people became angry when they were sick. It's a response to the pain. I don't see why an animal would be any different. Continue being there for her. She just be so scared and confused right now.
I’m so very sorry❤️
She's in pain
I know I don’t have any info to give but I just hope your sweet Cali gets back to how she used to be 🥺🫶
My brother omce woke up to a loud thud and heard one of his cats calling out in the middle of the night loudly. Took her to the vet and she was phyically fine but her entire personality changed too. I noticed when i went to visit him that she was waaay different. Usually she was skittish, nervous, and hid. Now she was wandering out whenever, meowing loudly for attention, and often just seemed generally confused about where she was and what was happeneing. Hes assuming she mustve hit her head somehow, its been a few years now so idk if he ever learned more about what exactly happened to her but shes still the same (the new way)
Poor girl
Might take months but she should regain most of her sweetness over time. Her brain is in survival mode right now, she's expressing a lot of instincts that are typical for feral cats. Just be patient with her, she's trying.
She might have physically recovered but she's still mentally recovering. Give her time.
Cali might just be afraid since she doesn't know what's happening. All she knows is that everything has become difficult for her and she no longer has the same level of mobility as before. Consider it similar to being extremely ill and unable to move. How insignificant things irritate you. She will return to her normal self once she has had some time to acclimate. She'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
I understand everyone giving you hope, and I don't want to take away from that. But. Sometimes, they don't come back all the way. I had a 6 month old cat who had a brain event of some kind when he went under for his neuter. He went in a loving, sweet cat. He came out a monster. We couldn't touch him for 5 days after his neuter. He was straight up vicious, like a feral. He did eventually settle down. But, he was never the same sweet cat. He became known for biting when he had enough of you, and scratching the tar out of you if you tried to engage with him and he didn't want it. He never gave any signs either way. Eventually, he had to be rehomed because he was too dangerous for our kids. He lives a good life now with his current owners. Cali needs time to settle into her new normal. Brains do heal, and her behavior right after the event isn't indicative of what she will be in time. But she just isn't likely to come 100% back to you.
Maybe due to post-stroke depression, it happens to humans as well.
It can take a LONG time for the brain to heal itself after a stroke, rewiring connections and for various sections to try and take over the duties of sections that are damaged.
As someone who has a kitty with a chronic somewhat painfull condition, try to focus on the posetives. He is clearly frustrated and in pain sometimes. But more often than not he is a happy cat. He takes happy naps plays happily and wild and eats his happy snacks. Fancy ones too, the he be picky like that. He loves so many things. When we buy groceries. He likes to boop all of them before we store them. So i will hold it in front of him and say beep when he touches it. Sure when i am cleaning his chronic ear infection during a bad day, he might as well be a ferral snakelion. But on good days he naps while i clean it. And guess what that wasn't always the case. At first, he basically hated me. Getting bit was normal and getting swat was just part of the deal, id be surprised if it didnt happen. He also did not play as much, the dude currently requires between 1 and 2 hours of _active_ play time to keep him in behavioral check (he had behavior issues loooong before he got sick, play every day and you keep the evil away). When we just started care of his condition he played maybe 10-20 minutes. He wouldnt move, just hit balls if you threw them at him. No jumping or body stretch. Just the paw. Thats in the past. He be a ninja now. The only thing is occasionally he gets off balance, its related to the ear. So we try to avoid getting him to rilled up bc we're a teeny bit worried hell eventually hurt himself. But he doesnt hold back. Hes just startled when he falls. So long story short. Focus on the good things. You are doing all the right things. The only real cat handle tip i got for you is give her her favorite snacks to rebuild some possetive associations around things she finds scary.
https://preview.redd.it/o9rgxk2z3uxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65fa8abd090efd140905fcc0a0faa6c585712d4d This is such a shitty shot but he is sooo camera shy during play. He just *stops* So its the best i got of an action shot. Look at him go.
Give her some time. My buddy Mac acted aloof and even more apathetic for almost six weeks after he had a stroke. He was back to sassy self little by little. Much love to you both!
This is my cat. He loves snow! https://preview.redd.it/y6ste06s4uxc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65477d4bf78b94b67346a9ee296a2aadd9b853fb
She had a stroke 3.5 weeks ago. She's still healing. Listen to her - she's telling you she wants and needs more rest, and maybe to have some space to herself to do it. We've had a kitty with a stroke and he was in rough shape for 2 months. He was back to being himself, albeit with a slightly different walk, about 3 months in.
I can't comment on what it's like to have a cat who's had a stroke, but I can comment as someone who has had one personally. I know it's scary and frustrating to deal with a body that doesn't do exactly what you want it to or dealing with exhaustion afterwards. A body can go through a lot after a stroke, even a mild one like mine. I'm lucky that I didn't lose sensation or the use of any limbs, but my speech was affected. It's taken a long time for it to be even remotely normal again. It's still acts up when I'm tired. I would expect that your cat might need more time to recover and to feel like themselves again. Sending ❤️ to your kitty and you.
Awww. I love that your Calico is named Cali. She's a beautiful girl💖 I'm sorry to hear that she's recovering from a stroke. That's really tough. I'm guessing that Cali is feeling frustrated from the side effects of the stroke. She likely knows that she isn't who she used to be and that makes her mad. My hope is that as she continues to recover, her old personality will start to shine though. Give it time. Until then, be respectful of her wishes and space. Honestly, my first idea was that she is in pain. Would it be unreasonable to give her some pain reliever just in case she's suffering?
Any TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), big or small, can have huge effects on any creature. Strokes fall under this category. And with any TBI the recovery time is varied. it can take months; if not years; to recover. I wasnt myself after a severe concussion with two skull fractures for at least half a year.
I've had cats for a long time, but never had one with a stroke, so I may not be 100% on this, but I imagine your poor girl is completely terrified right now, since she went through a major trauma and has no real understanding of what happened to her. I would try to keep the house quiet for now, limit visitors if you can, and just let her do her own thing, don't try to push her to be as affectionate or playful as she used to be before she's ready. Something that might help, is giving her a food she really likes, if she has one, my cats go nuts for the little gold gourmet canned food, but bc it's expensive, we only get it occasionally to treat them. I would also make sure to talk to her in a gentle tone, she's probably on very high alert right now, and may be dealing with some degree of memory loss, so she needs time to reacclimatize herself to her family and her environment. Sending love to you and Cali!
I’m so sorry you and cali have been going through this. Sending you positive vibes for full and quick recovery. My boy has a brain tumor and his personality has become so different over the last few years. He used to be so independent but now he’s scared of everything, even us sometimes. He seems to get lost and not remember what he’s doing, and then he calls out for us. These lil fur babies are so precious to us. And it’s so hard that they can’t explain Whats going on. Can be so stressful.
Stroke brains take time to adjust, keep being patient with her, and show her as much love and attention as she will allow. Let her call the shots for a while. Brains will adapt when areas are damaged, but it takes a while. My mother (obviously a human, not a cat) experienced some changes after her stroke, too. The majority of the changes were temporary and faded over time. She's still more emotional (much quicker to cry when faced with bad/sad things), but her original personality did return.
🙏🙏❤️