Help Niels Run and Jump Without Pain Again

Niels was just three when we noticed he was limping, and learnt that he has patellar luxation, where his kneecap dislocates.

This is a painful condition where each dislocation also rubs at the cartilage, and leads to arthritis as well.

He underwent surgery to fix the problem on June 5th 2024, and I documented his recovery on twitter @tomandniels

Unfortunately, he got an infection deep within the surgical site which damaged the repair, and after three months of having a very rough time with various other health issues that were ultimately caused by the knee, his kneecap is dislocating again.

He needs a second surgery to repair the damage done, and tighten the muscles and ligaments again, so that his knee can be normal, and he can run and jump without pain again.

On top of the surgery itself, the medication he needs to recover (painkillers, anti anxiety meds for confinement, and so on), are extremely expensive.

The surgery has been delayed for over a year, because he's had other health issues.

During recovery from surgery, he had a bladder emergency, which in a male cat, could have been a blockage, which can be fatal very quickly.

Fortunately he didn't have a blockage, but he had to have a urinary catheter fitted for a few days to let his bladder recover, and he now has to be on a urinary diet for life, which is complicated as he also has food allergies, and finding a diet that reduced the crystals, whilst working for his allergies, proved to be impossible.

The surgery is major, and he really needs the best possible nutrition whilst recovering.

His crystals came back as scant earlier this year, which is as close to zero as they'll ever get. So we've been able to move him to a hydrolised protein diet again, and he is doing much better

He was finally getting to the point where I thought he might be ready, when he started having tummy issues.

The immediate bad issue cleared up well, but his tummy has never fully got back to normal.

It's enough that I want to get his stool tested (and I imagine his brother's as well, as they share a litter tray, and things like that can cross back and forth between cats easily), to find out what's going on and get it sorted.

I don't really want him to have major surgery whilst he's not 100%.

He needs the best possible chance at a good recovery.

Obviously he has pet insurance, but major orthopaedic surgery, and an emergency bladder procedure, plus middle of the night emergency after he cut his paw (I know, one thing after another!), blasted through his £7,000 yearly allowance in THREE months last year!

Their insurance is now incredibly expensive as a result, so I'd really like to put as little on there as possible, especially considering their monthly meds for the rest of their life.

Tom has very expensive medication as well.

Between them, their medication and food is now more than my actual income, and I HAVE to keep their insurance up, because if it drops at all, they'll never get insurance again because of their preexisting conditions. There insurance is £136 a month!

I didn't have cats, as much as I wanted them, because, being disabled and unable to work, I felt I couldn't afford them. But my Mum adopted Tom and Niels from feral, and when she had a stroke, and had to move into a home, the option was I take them, or they die.

It wasn't exactly a choice.

Their insurance bill is paid every month, but I am disabled and unable to work, and so very poor.

I need help, to get Niels the treatment he needs, in the hope that he will be running around without pain, and without the threat of arthritis very soon. That's the most important thing.

What the money will be used for.

The surgery will be £2,000. That's a major discount because he's already had surgery on it. It's usually £3,700. They're giving a large reduction because I've explained my financial difficulties, and they just want him to be well, it's his second go, so they're being really great.

That assumes all goes well, and that they don't find something different that needs a different approach once they're inside the knee.

His medication on top of that is:

Gabapentin

Buprenorphine

Amantadine

Rheumacam

Trazadone

Nutracalm

Oralade to keep his hydration up when he's not feeling like food after surgery.

Feliway, extra as its not normally on in that room.

This cost really depends on how long he needs to recover. The first surgery, we were expecting 6 weeks of cage confinement, followed by months of physical rehab. His many set backs meant he was in the cage for three months!

The only one he won't need long term, as long as all goes well, are the buprenorphine and Amantadine.

I'm hoping to not need to use buprenorphine at all.

The rheumacam may be used during his rehab, though hopefully he won't need it!

He is on the gabapentin for life.

On top of that, the immediate large urgent payment he needs a stool testing, so we can get his tummy properly sorted out.

I don't know how much that is yet, but I remember last time it was very expensive.

The vet said he might need blood tests too.

Ideally, during recovery, he'll need at least one urine sample test, to see how his crystal levels are.

FLUTD - lower urinary tract disease, in young male cats, is usually caused by stress.

He's a very nervy cat anyway, but he took very badly to confinement, and had stress cystitis within the first few days.

The cost of that is around £180 a test.

There are other general things that are needed to help him during recovery.

Puppy pads for the cage, at first in case he struggles to get into the tray, but then because he kept throwing water around last year.

Hydrolysed chicken liver powder, to mix with all of his meals, so he's more tempted by food, and as a bit of a treat whilst he's stuck in the cage. They normally have it for lunch only with their meds.

Paper litter - he can't use his normal wood pellets whilst the incision heals. It has to be the paper pellet type.

Possibly a couple of new toys to peak his interest when he's starting to feel like playing. Not essential, but a new toy will interest him more than the ones he knows.

He will need steps for when he's healed and ready to walk around the house.

Stopping him getting up to the windowsills is not possible once he's out of the cage.

But his surgeon said steps are needed, so he can get up without jumping whilst he's doing rehab, which will take months.

Any more beyond that, will go towards their monthly insurance and food, which would be a huge weight off my shoulders.

Given the cost of his medication / food, and their insurance I can't imagine there would be any left after that!