Caring For An Aging, Ailing Cat
posted 08/04/03
by Hank Pellissier, special to SF Gate

Eric Peterson is the guardian of Dude, a black 16-year-old cat (equivalent to 80 in human years) afflicted with kidney disease and diabetes. Eric devotes a generous amount of time and money to his beloved pet's health requirements. I interviewed him at his home in Bernal Heights as Dude slept on a sofa beside us.

How long have you and Dude been together?

I got Dude when he was a newborn kitten from a woman I worked with in 1988, when I was an associate editor in Chicago. I wanted a calico, but when I saw her calico kittens, they were too shy and small, so I took the black one instead. When I was growing up in Nebraska, whenever our calico cat, Muffett, had a litter, we always kept the black one.

Dude was a really healthy cat when he was younger -- he used to climb this huge ficus tree as a kitten.

Are you and Dude extremely close emotionally?

Dude is my male soulmate. I don't know what I will do without Dude. He knows when I'm depressed, and he meows to tell me he knows. I'm happy when he's happy. It seems stupid, I know, but sometimes I wonder if I'd have gotten through some tough times without him.

What is Dude's personality like?

He is very doglike. I talk to him all the time, and he responds. He fetches, he comes when I call him and he responds when he hears his name.

When did you find out that Dude had kidney failure and diabetes?

Last fall, Dude went from 18 pounds to 12 pounds in about two months -- a huge weight-loss percentage -- and he was visibly skinnier. He was also drinking massive amounts of water and peeing too much. This increased water intake/increased urination is called PU/PD. When it happens, it can be due to kidneys, diabetes, thyroid problems or other conditions.

An internal-medicine specialist gave Dude some tests, and he was diagnosed with kidney disease, so we treated that, but he kept drinking and peeing too much. We also noticed that his hind legs were getting stiffer and stiffer, making it harder for him to walk or jump. This is a sign of diabetes called diabetic neuropathy. Dude was diagnosed with diabetes in October 2002 -- turns out he had both kidney disease and diabetes, which is sort of unusual.

How is the kidney problem dealt with?

We switched foods to a low-protein, high-fat diet. Dude is the only cat my vet has seen that likes this one kind of food for cats with kidney disease. He said all the other cats he has seen prefer the other brand much more -- just one more example of how Dude is a unique cat.

Unfortunately, the food that is good for his kidneys is bad for his diabetes, and vice versa.

How is the diabetes treated?

We tried giving Dude insulin in pill form for a month, but it didn't work -- it usually doesn't -- so after a month, we tried the shots. They trained me -- they even brought in a little kitten that I gave a saline solution to.

I give Dude his insulin shot twice a day now, with a needle -- 7 am and 7 pm. It has to be 12 hours apart. I started last December, so, by now, after eight months, I have given him about 500 shots.

Dude has to eat before I give him a shot because, if the insulin spikes his blood-sugar level, he'll go into diabetic seizures -- he'll lose muscle control.

I hope I don't ever see it. If he ever does have a diabetic seizure, I'm supposed to give him Karo syrup to save him by making his blood glucose rise back to normal, but I've heard that the Karo syrup is hard to get it in their mouth when they're having a seizure and it doesn't always work.

Was it difficult learning how to use the syringe?

I don't have trouble. The first time I gave Dude a shot, he looked at me like, "What are you doing?" and sometimes, one out of 40 times, he'll make a little sound, but he's never bitten me. I think he knows at this point that it's good for him, because now he comes to find me at 7 am and 7 pm. He's a smart boy -- or old man, I guess I should say.

I give him his shot by grabbing him by the back of the neck to get a bunch of skin. Cats go limp when you do that because they think you are their mom. The needle is super thin and small, so the cat doesn't feel anything.

My brother is an anesthesiologist, and my sister is a pathologist/geneticist, and my sister's husband is an orthopedic surgeon, so I can't be squeamish about blood and needles with that kind of family. Even though I'm not one of the M.D.'s, I can still learn to use a syringe.

Why is Dude's belly shaved?

He gets an ultrasound of his kidneys and his liver when he goes to the vet for his routine blood-glucose curves. He stays there all day while they check his blood glucose to see if the insulin is wearing off too quickly and his blood glucose is rising. I have had to slowly increase Dude's insulin intake over the last nine months.

With his belly shaved, I can see that he has some freckles. Has caring for Dude been difficult for you? Time-wise, financially, emotionally?

It is a lot of work, but Dude's worth it. After 16 years of his devotion, it's the least I can do.

At the vet's office, when I agreed to be trained to do the shots, several of the staff members came up to me and thanked me for my willingness. They said most people don't want to do the twice-daily insulin shots for their cats -- people just get their cat put to sleep instead -- so I guess I am sort of a freak. But last night at the Fillmore, my friend, the rock star Matthew Sweet, told me that he took care of his diabetic cat for three years.

My ex-girlfriend used to help me with the 7 am shots, but we broke up two months ago, so now I'm doing both shots. I have no flexibility in my schedule. I am trying to find a friend who would be willing to help, and I worry, if I get in a car accident or I don't get home in time for some reason, that I don't have anyone lined up to give him his shot.

I have easily spent several thousand dollars on Dude in the last year. The staff at Mission Pet Hospital has been great, and my excellent vet, Dr. Curtis Press, has given me some free ultrasounds. He is awesome.

This summer has been tough. Besides watching Dude go through scary times, I've been breaking up with a girlfriend of 10 years. The day we broke up was the first day my vet said he was really worried about Dude. That was a day I will never forget.

In addition to that, my father also got pneumonia and lost a ton of weight, and they did a chest X ray and found a spot on his lungs they're checking every three months. My sister also had to have a hysterectomy for some tumors. Thank God her tumors were benign and my Dad's growth appears to be staying the same size. It was hard for me to see them both looking skinnier and moving a little slower -- it is sad to watch your pets and family getting older.

Are the medications helping Dude?

In the last month, I have started letting him outside more, and it has really brought his energy up. He sits there with his nose in the air, attempting to smell the whole world at once.

Is Dude your all-time favorite pet?

I liked my cats Muffett and Peabody, and Clipper, my black-Lab dog that I had for 13 years, and my horse, El Bandito. But Dude is the only indoor pet I've ever had. I have a bond with him that is different. He sleeps in my bed, and we have constant interaction.

Will you get another pet immediately after Dude is gone?

I might take a break from pets after Dude dies so I can travel a bit. I have a friend in Thailand I can visit, and I'd like to go see my family more often. But, eventually, I will get another cat from a shelter.

Do you have a burial ritual planned for Dude?

I need to buy a shovel to do some yardwork, but I just can't right now. I'm afraid.

I have heard that if a cat dies at the vet's, the vets won't let you take your dead pet home if they think you will bury him within the city limits. But I will maybe lie to the vet and tell him that I have a friend with a farm nearby, and then I'll drive Dude down Highway 1 and bury him on a hillside overlooking the ocean.

Source: SFGate.com.

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