Low-Impact Bonding (for Recovering from Illness or Injury)

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about weight management and gave a lot of suggestions on keeping kitty active regardless of the stage of diabetic blood glucose control. However, it is equally important to keep kitty stimulated even if they are ill or recovering from an injury or procedure. I call this low-impact bonding because it lets kitty know you are there, kitty still gets attention and mental stimulation, and you are not just the Evil Minion sent to water down their food, poke and prod, and put that nasty syringe stuff (medicine) in their mouth every day. This is especially important if kitty is under orders for rest such as no jumping or running and/or the vet has recommended kitty be kept separate from other pets.

I have had to keep a cat in a cage after surgery, but I bought a modular play corral for dogs that I was able to arrange the panels for a large cage to keep a litter box, bed, food, and room for a human visitor. I highly recommend this for anyone with multiple pets. I can corral my dogs outside without having to worry about them falling in the pool, and the corral has served me very well as my geriatric puppy has lost bladder control at times. There are many uses, and you can store the panels in the back of a closet, against a wall, or somewhere in the garage. I do not endorse any particular brand but all you need is panels and zip ties!

Visiting kitty wherever they are convalescing is good for both kitty and family. This makes it a lot easier to monitor small progresses. For example, my Zeus after abdominal surgery would let me pet him only on the head and only for a minute or two at first. By the end of the week, he was crying and rubbing on the cage for attention. He did not purr for a couple of weeks, but he was happy when a family member came to sit with him (once he realized no syringes were involved anyway). He would respond instead by rubbing his head on my hands or walking over toward me on his own. If you only have one, the corral may never be needed, as we can simply close doors and keep kitty in a smaller area - as long as they cannot hide where you cannot get to them. A bathroom serves this purpose well. You might think, oh I can keep kitty in the living room with us to keep an eye and it will be fine – not likely. I have seen some serious creativity when it comes to cats climbing INSIDE the furniture, behind the entertainment centers, and under anything that sits more than two inches off the floor. My Bucky is a HUGE cat. He can still contort himself somehow to get inside any recliner and under dressers. As a kitten, he would do this all the time, and the whole family would run around the house calling for him, shaking the treat bag in a panic, and he would come strolling out from some hidey hole stretching from his nap. The living room idea would NOT work for either of my elderly kitties. They are just too smart, experienced, and determined. When recovering, the last thing you want to have to do is drag the cat out from under furniture or move the TV stand to get to them. When you start moving furniture, they have a tendency to run to the next hiding spot they find. This is great exercise for us humans, but this is not low-impact for the recovering kitty. This is going to prolong their recovery, and while being “separate” is no fun for anybody, it is best to follow the recommended protocol to keep that time as short as possible. You may also think that the cone of shame will prevent them from hiding in small areas. This is potentially true, but I have yet to have any cat that has not found a way to get that cone off in less than 10 minutes because they seem to go into freak-out mode trying to shake it off and basically wiggle and wrench their entire bodies to get the thing off – not good for any injury or post-surgery. I use onesies instead. Most stores where there are pet supplies sell them. I have made them myself using instructions I found here. The nice thing about making them is being able to change them regularly to prevent infection and especially if there is an open wound to check. We used some old T-shirts for the purpose, and it seemed to comfort Zeus because it A – was not that darn cone, B – it was very soft cotton, and C – it smelled like his human servants.

A convalescing cat takes more work and attention on a daily basis often with extra medications, special feeding instructions, and other veterinarian protocols depending on kitty’s issue. Make time for you or other family members to visit kitty just to visit. Even a separated kitty needs stimulation in other forms than the required syringes, feeding, cleaning, etc. I made a point of sitting in the cage for a few minutes several times a day with a longer visit in the evening as the house quieted down. Zeus had to be confined for three weeks, and he seemed to look forward to the attention. This also made him less panicky when I came to deliver medicines and other un-pleasantries. As always, work with your cat’s unique personality and medical situation. Mine are on the crazier end of the spectrum, so your situation may be a little easier to handle. Bonding is important even when exercise and regular play are temporarily unavailable. It will keep kitty calmer, and you will feel better as well. You can find more help and creative ideas on the Feline Diabetic Support Group on FB.