This is Simba. Simba is a handsome 14lb. orange tabby who is the most cuddly cat in our house. Simba is always up on the desk as mommy tries to work on this web site. He purrs constantly! He loves to be petted and kissed and hugged and to cuddle.

Simba unfortunately has been dealt some bad cards in his life. Simba has 2 feline diseases which are explained as best as I can below. I created this special page in honor of my wonderful Simba & to let others know of the symptoms of the diseases FELINE HYPERESTHESIA and FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT Disease (FLUTD - also known as Feline Urinary Syndrome - FUS). As his humans, we went through alot of confusion, heartache and pain before and during his battles with these diseases. For Simba-he only knows what he has gone through-but as his mom, I believe it is the same as me-confusion, heartache and I know pain (with the FLUTD).

Please, if your kitty shows any of the signs Simba did in any of these situations - GET YOUR KITTY HELP!

Too many people I fear would give their kitty to a shelter if their cat demonstrated the behavior & actions Simba did before we found out he had Feline Hyperesthesia. IMMEDIATE vet care is necessary for any signs of FLUTD - this disease is FATAL if not treated promptly!! I hope you can learn from this page, so that you and your furbaby can live a healthier and happier life together!

This kitty is a Maneki Neko's or the "Lucky Cat"



I have adopted him for my Simba in the hopes he will beckon good luck his way for his health. I want my little boy to be happy and in peaceful harmony throughout his life.





FELINE HYPERESTHESIA:

Simba demonstrated the following behaviors before the diagnosis: EXTREME aggression toward my 3 girl cats. This wasn't just "oh the cats are chasing each other again" This was an absolute fear that he may end up hurting one of them. Taffy, who is fearful normally, was the major target. Clumps of her hair would be found, not pieces, but CLUMPS. Simba would spray, just because, and yes, he is of course neutered! It wasn't "oops, kitty went outside the litter box" It was sitting on the couch and not only the seat cushion, but the back cushion being peed on. He once sprayed our shower door with me standing right there. When we consulted his doctor, the vet was pleased to hear Simba never showed aggression toward either of his humans, which can also be a symptom of the FELINE HYPERESTHESIA. The thing is, he didn't mean to do the bad things he was doing - it is not only a skin disease, but a mental one as you'll read further down.

Simba's fur/skin always did a strange twitch/wave-like motion. One evening he jumped up and looked at his fur frantically-going from looking at his back - to his legs - to his chest - frantically back and forth. Then would lick/bite at himself - then darted into the hallway - stopped again to frantically look over himself-then the licking/biting happened again. Then he darted back into another room. This was so frightening-so abnormal. I knew then something definetly was not right. He did this same strange behavior again in the middle of the night - enough frantic movements on his part to wake me out of a sound sleep to see my poor baby in obvious distress. All I can describe it as is that it was like "something was crawling under his skin & he could not get at it." It appeared he would try to run and hide from "IT". His beautiful blue/green eyes would become totally black as his pupils had dilated that much. Simba then developed what appeared to be an 'obsessive/compulsive' disorder with his tail. It appears he is not aware it is part of 'him'. He runs from it, then savagely attacks it with biting and aggressive licking.



Feline Hyperesthesia is a common behavioral phenomenon with a poorly understood origin. It is also referred to as the "Rippling Skin Syndrome, Rolling Skin Syndrome or Twitchy Skin Syndrome". The following are the most common symptoms:

Rippling or rolling of skin on the back
Sudden licking excessively or biting themselves
Abruptly running around the house as if something were after them Hiding under the bed or elsewhere
Frantic meowing and swishing of the tail
Apparent hallucinations with glassy eyes and dilated pupils
Some cats spray urine or urinate/defecate in the wrong place
Muscle spasms and vocalization

Symptoms may be occasional or occur as multiple daily episodes, which tend to interfere with the quality of life for both the cat & it's human. All these felines have severe deep pain in the lumbar area if touched just right in that spot. DON'T try touching a cat as they are in one of these 'spells or episodes', some have been known to unexpectedly growl, bite or attack. This sydrome may be a chronic disease of viral origin, dermatological inflammation, neurological and behavioral derangement. There may be organic problems (minimal brain damage). The signs are usually manifestations of a mental problem. It effects the brain and/or the spinal chord. Kittens can be born with it, or a cat may acquire it following a bite from an infected cat. Any cat can have this disease. It is a relief to find out you don't have a 'crazy' or 'schizophrenic' kitty, but actually a very good cat who is unfortunately tormented by serious pain. When put on the proper medications, cats can act normal and enjoy life.





Simba had been originally prescribed:

Amitriptyline Anti-anxiety antidepressant. For compulsive behaviors, anxiety & fear.

Simba was on this medication for 9 months and was wonderful. In August of 2001 it stopped working. For 3 months we tried to successfully treat him with other medcations. His vet at the time though, had no experience with his condition, so it was very confusing and frustrating to see Simba not getting better, both on my part and his vets part. He was briefly put on 2 other medications, Buspirone, which is prescribed for anxiety disorders, Simba had a terrible reaction to this. Then Clomipramine was tried, an anti-obsessive/compulsive drug. Neither worked. On 10/31/01, in desperation, I searced for a new vet and found Simba an "All Cats" Vet. His new vet is so knowledgeable & thankfully has experience with Simba's condition. He is now treating Simba with:

Phenobarbital Barbiturate and antiseizure

Barbiturates depress the central nervous system (CNS). They are used in instances such as to prevent seizures & as sedatives. Phenobarbital is a long-acting barbiturate. It is particularly good for long-term control of seizures because it blocks seizure and muscle activity without producing significant sedation. It is also relatively safe, effective & inexpensive.

After a couple weeks on the Phenobarbital, we had seen good results!! After a month, Simba's compulsive licking and rolling of the skin were virtually gone. He was still attacking his tail though, this could be an underlying muscle disorder or pinched nerves in his back/spinal cord ~ but more than likely, just part of his Hyperesthesia. He was also taking:

Prednisone

This is prescribed for, itching, inflammation, some neuorlogical disorders including spinal cord injuries, and alot more. This medication will at times relieve him from 'attacking' his tail. (Simba was weaned off of this, and 'attacks' his tail maybe twice a month. When he does, we distract him with a 'laser toy' which works great)

In April of 2002 we weaned Simba off of the Phenobarbital and onto Prozac. The reason for this is Simba's vet said the Phenobarbital can 'potentially' in the long run, cause liver damage. To avoid this from possibly ever happening, the Prozac was tried. Prozac is prescribed for compulsive behaviors, anxiety and fear. Unfortunately, the Prozac did not work, his Hyperesthesia symptoms started to come back. His Vet did state he has more success with Phenobarbital then Prozac for cats with Simba's condition. We just wanted to try the Prozac since it doesn't have the 'potential' long run effects that the Phenobarbital has. It is RARE for cats to develop liver damage from Phenobarbital use, which is good. But of course Simba's Vet and I take every precaution. With Simba on the Phenobarbital, I take him in a few times a year for blood tests which check his liver function and Phenobarbital levels in his system to make sure all is well.





There are so many underlying attributes to Feline Hyperesthesia from: Anxiety to compulsion to seizure to muscle disorders and more- One just has to find out which is the major cause, and then treat that main area in order to get kitty better again. Since we are treating it as a seizure disorder in Simba, he is doing better once again!

I was always leary of feline medication, but it has helped him so tremendously. He is still a cat too! One of my fears was that we would loose the loving side of Simba - even through all his bad behaviors, he was always loving and cuddly with his humans. Thankfully there is no more spraying, no more compulsive licking his fur or frantic actions. He still even chases the girls every now and then, but it is different-I don't think for once he is capable of hurting them. Sometimes he'll still chase Taffy, but again, I am not fearful for her safety and we no longer find clumps of her hair (plus, she usually gives him a 'left hook' with her paw-she's become quite the brave one!). How confusing it also must have been for him to have those feelings he was having or acting out in such ways for no apparent reason. There are some rare occassions that his skin/fur will still twitch and roll, but he seems not to pay any attention to it. My baby boy, mommy loves you so!





The following 2 links I found at the wonderful site of Fran and Tripods Homepage

At these sites I either sent an e-mail or signed a public guestbook asking for prayers for my Simba. During the 3 months prior to finding Simba's new Vet, I didn't know where turn or how to help my baby. The responses I received by e-mail were overwhelming & so enlightening. These precious, caring people, who I most likely will never meet, opened up their hearts to me and my Simba and vowed to pray for my baby to be healthy.









This was one of the e-mails I received in response to asking for prayers for Simba when I didn't know if he was ever going to get better. It is so beautiful and touched me deeply:

"I pray the Lord will heal your sweet cat; whether it be through His means, or through the medicine; I pray he will give your vet wisdom as to how to heal this kitty; May dear sweet Simba be healed soon, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, in Jesus' name. God bless & keep you both."





*** SIMBA'S DISEASES PAGE II ***



~BACK TO CATS HEALTH & WELFARE~        ~BACK TO MAIN~


Disclaimer: This page represents an amateur's attempt to compile information about the 2 feline diseases listed above which is currently available on the Internet. This has been done to hopefully give a better understanding of these diseases which cause so much pain to our kitties. The author cannot be held responsible for any of the information on this page or on any pages with a link back to this page. Please consult a qualified Vet if your cat develops any symptoms stated above.