Heart Disease

Back in 2015, Julie and I lived on Staten Island, just the two of us, in a pitiful studio apartment. 

I watched her every move, even closer that year than usual. One day, I noticed she’d been vomiting more than usual. I figured it was probably innocuous, but I was worried enough to take her to the vet. Somehow or another this led to me ordering her just about every scan in the book. And the news was quite unexpected. A heart murmur. 


Julie has heart disease. 


This news made my knees wobble. Heart disease? She was eight years old at the time. Yes, she was overweight. But, heart disease? 


The veterinarian educated me more on the subject, and I learned that it was a matter for concern, but not panic. 


Heart disease is not the same as heart failure. 


Heart disease means thickening of the heart muscles. It will usually, eventually lead to heart failure, which is terminal. 


But it doesn’t have to happen that way. It’s likely that millions of cats have heart disease, and their owners don’t even know it. The vast majority of those cats will live long lives and die from things other than heart failure. 


Julie is one of them — she lived with heart disease for six years, without ever progressing to heart failure. 


This success story began with a vow I made back in November of 2015 — to make Julie healthier. 


Treats would become weekly, not daily. 


Instead of large cans of food, she would get two small cans per day. 


No more dry food — she needs the water in the wet food to keep her hydrated and keep her bowels moving. 


For months, she will beg and beg for more food and treats. But I know she’s not starving. And I don’t flinch. It’s hard for me at first — there’s so much bonding that comes with feeding your cat. Her dependence on you, the shared satisfaction of providing for another and her enjoying the food and nourishment. But this is about much more than just making Julie happy. It’s about years of her life, and it’s a worthy sacrifice to make. 

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