Let me start this by saying we are not vets, and this is not going to have medical advice.
Cats are amazing. They are fun, and they fill your life with frustration and joy all at the same time. Recently, we lost our cat, Mr Bump. This absolutely broke me. I have owned Mr Bump for 16 years and thought he would be one of those cats who lived until they were 21. He was a spritely, energetic little grump, soppy as anything on his terms.
What Happened
It happened incredibly quickly. One minute, Mr Bump was being his usual self, jumping up on the sides and trying to annoy me. He sat on my lap while I worked and then jumped on the side where he slept. 20 minutes later, he had a stroke or a seizure; the vets are not quite sure. He seized up, gave a little meow, and that was it: he changed.
Simply put, he would often seize up, which the vet explained was his body reacting to a severe change. I assumed this was one of his usual episodes. I picked him up and gave him lots of sensory stimulation, as that usually worked. This time it did not. He was very wobbly; he could not stand for longer than a few seconds, and he would flop down on the floor.
At this point, we went to the vets and found out that there was a lot of fluid in his chest and his heart rate was very slow. We knew Bump had a murmur, but this was different. The vet knew that this was not good and wanted to take him in for observation and tests.
We eventually found out he had Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Having had a previous cat with the same issue who lived for six years after her diagnosis, I thought it would be manageable with diuretics each day. I was wrong.
What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
I am not a vet, but here is my layman’s understanding of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is where the heart muscle walls become enlarged and thickened. This reduces the area inside the heart, which means that blood pressure reduces and oxygen cannot efficiently travel around the body. It also leads to fluid buildup in the lungs, which puts more pressure on the kidneys as they are not able to clear the excess fluid. It is a devastating heart disease.
Can you tell if a cat has HCM before it becomes severe?
Cats are masters at hiding medical problems. They can go for years with an issue without you ever knowing there is a problem. It is the hardest part of owning a cat because when they get a severe medical problem that becomes noticeable, it is usually the point of no return.
Obviously, this is not the same for every cat. However, it is more common than not. This is why we were not able to know that Bump needed help earlier. He was, to all intents and purposes, a healthy cat. It was only when a small blood clot likely left his heart and entered his brain that everything went wrong.
What are the signs, and what should I do?
If you have concerns that your cat has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, take them to the vet immediately. Early detection can help you manage the issue. Unfortunately, while the main signs are typically lethargy, lack of appetite, and laboured breathing, these likely only appear when the disease has taken hold.
What you should do with any kind of illness for your cat is take them to the vets. If you are sitting here questioning whether you should or not, the answer will always be: go to the vets.