Bad News for Castor

I didn't mention this last week because FH's brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law were visiting, but Castor went back to the vet last Thursday.  It has been determined that he has some kind of lesion in his brain, specifically on the left side.  This is what is causing the seizures and all the strange behaviors that he's been exhibiting.  We don't know what kind of lesion it is but it's most likely either metastasized cancer or a blood clot.  I know there are other options, but based on his medical history these are the best guess.

We will not be putting him through the stress of driving 1.5 hours to the closest MRI facility nor the anesthesia required to give a cat an MRI.  Even the short drive to our vets' offices (less than 10 minutes) causes him a horrifying amount of stress and pushes him to the brink of having a seizure.  Also once we're at the vets' he is terrified and shaking, when he used to explore the room, look the windows, and flirt with all the people in the room.  Therefore we will not know exactly what is putting pressure on his brain until he's gone.

FH and I are monitoring his behavioral changes daily.  The odd neurological "ticks" he was having over the summer had come back again right before Christmas despite the anti-seizure medications.  So far Castor's balance is really the only thing affected.  He did a somersault off the coffee table on Saturday while trying to hurry down after a piece of cheese that landed on the floor.  I don't know who was more surprised, us or him.  Also he has issues sitting upright for too long, but once he's laying down he's comfortable. 

Castor is eating, drinking, and eliminating fine as well.  He's also being spoiled rotten and loved and petted for a good portion of everyday.  The vets assure us that he's in no pain and that he can continue to be happy and comfortable for weeks to months.  However we've no idea how fast the lesion is growing and that is really what dictates how much time he has left.

 

FH, the vets, and I have agreed on what we'll consider the last straw.  We've also agreed that because Pollux also has irritable bowel disease (which can turn into cancer like it did for his brother) we're going to learn as much as we can from Castor in the hopes that if this happens to Pollux we can be better prepared.  

I'm going to try and refrain from posting anything more on Castor's illness.  I want this blog to help be an escape from the stress.  However adorable pictures and funny stories about the animals will continue as always.  Also the amount of care and attention he needs is much different than what Confetti needed or the rabbits need when they're sick, so I should still have time to not only work on projects but to post about them as well.  At least for a while.  For now Castor just wants to sleep near us or in a lap and be included in what we're doing.  In fact he's in my lap as I type this.  ;-)