Safari turned 13 early this summer.. I took him to the vet recently suspicious he may have hyperthyroidism. One test was indicative that he could be at the start of it and the other test was normal. With the information sent out to the University of Michigan Veterinary, the best in endocrinology, would think I would know for sure!
Safari has always been a big Orange Tabby and has always eaten a lot. My Tarzan who lived to age 19 had this from the time he was 8 years old and obviously lived a long and prosperous life. Because of this, I am well versed on this condition which is most common in aging cats.
So we shall see after my vet talks further with them for better interpretation. Life goes on however. Safari loves to eat anyway so nothing really is new on that front. It got me thinking however, about all our stages of life and when you have kids or animals instead, like I do there is always that marking of time that makes life seem so much more important and precious.
I have had Safari since he was just a baby. He was born at my neighbor’s and he jumped at the chance to come live with us and we have been inseparable ever since. We have lived in three places at once and he has always enjoyed life to its fullest. He came to me right when Tarzan was nearing the end of his career and after he crossed to the Rainbow Bridge, Safari was an only cat until Bailey, our first dog was adopted in 2008. She was a senior dog and with much sadness she crossed over The Rainbow Bridge in 2011 and Safari was again, an only cat for 6 months until Joy came along and while Joy is now just 4 and Safari 13, Joy is at times too playful for Safari’s taste, but it keeps him moving which is good for my senior boy.
I can never imagine life without the love of cats and dogs. It is simply who I am. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to provide for and share my life with these beautiful people with four legs and soft fur and I think about it every day when I hold them, kiss them, feed them, walk or even clean the litter box. It is my privilege to love them and happily I get that unconditional love that not another creature on earth can share in the same manner. If you are lucky enough to share your life with pets then do it to your best ability and make every day count. Safari just came up and meowed as I type this. He always has sat on my desk while I work. We share work, love, travel experiences, and life. I would not have it any other way. I love you so, Safari. xoxo
Sweet Safari Boy 
September 11, 2014 at 3:24 am
Sherri: my oldest cat, Molly, had hyperthyroidism at exactly age 13 (in 2011). I tried her on the pills, but it was miserable trying to force pills down a cat. And they were not lowering her thyroid numbers enough. I finally opted for radiation therapy — I am sure you already know this is probably caused by a benign tumor on the thyroid gland. It was a struggle to find a vet to do this, as only a few are licensed to handle radioactive materials. The first, lovely vet we found very sadly passed away suddenly before the treatment! and we had to find someone else on short notice.
It was very expensive, but the advantage is that it is 100% painless for the cat — over quickly — and they begin to feel better IMMEDIATELY. Molly had lost half her body weight, but in a few months, she was back to normal weight and energy. We were told that “this is the gold standard of care for hyperthyroidism”.
If you have any doubts, I’d be happy to talk to you about it anytime. I am sure there is a vet who can do this in the Pittsburgh area, or if you want to come this way, I can highly recommend the vet who did our procedure. In a 13 year old cat, you are giving them another 4-6 years of a happy, healthy, pain-free life and that’s really worth it to me!
September 11, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Yes Tarzan had this while we were living in Chicago at the time at Radiocat. I am well aware of it. He did not need it until age 18. He did fine on the Tapizole. I have found some natural remedies as well. Not sure at this point he has it that bad. Still evaluating. Thanks for your concern!