![]() ![]() The CSR community had even higher expectations than I had though. Last year I predicted a 7-10 season which proved to be overly optimistic as the team bungled its way to a 5-12 record. In 2020 I predicted a 5-11 record and that’s precisely where the Panthers ended, so I felt pretty cocky going into 2021. This is my third time putting myself out there like this. Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina.It’s that time of year for each of us to go on record and publicly predict the Panthers record before the season begins. Cat thumbs full#I hope the remaining time you and Marty have together is full of tender joy and gentle kisses.ĭr. When you add up the numbers, a score over 35 represents an acceptable quality of life. ◼️ More good days than bad: When the bad days outnumber the good, it's time to recognize that Marty may be suffering.Īssign each of the seven concerns a number from 1 (for unacceptable) to 10 (excellent). ![]() ◼️ Mobility: Can Marty get up and move around on his own? Does he enjoy going for walks? How responsive is he to life around him? Does he seem joyful, depressed, anxious or afraid? Is his bed close to family activities or isolated? ◼️ Happiness: You said Marty still wags his tail but is less social. ◼️ Hygiene: Does he let you brush him and clean him up after he eliminates? If Marty were a cat, we'd ask how well he grooms himself. ◼️ Hydration: Is Marty dehydrated? If he requires regular fluid administration, does he tolerate the procedure well? ◼️ Hunger: Is he eating well? Does he require hand-feeding? How well is Marty's arthritis pain being managed? ◼️ Hurt: Adequate pain control and effortless breathing are at the top of this quality of life scale. It's called the HHHHHMM scale, and it takes into account these seven concerns: Alice Villalobos, a veterinary oncologist who focuses on palliative and hospice care, developed a detailed quality of life scale that I have found valuable with my own pets, and I'm sure it will help you, too. How will I know the right time?Ī: My heart is with you as you prepare to make this painful decision. I want him with me as long as he is happy and comfortable, but I don't want him to suffer, so I'll have his veterinarian euthanize him when his quality of life is poor. He still wags his tail, but he's not as social as he used to be, and even with his arthritis medication, it's harder for him to get around. Q: Marty, my 16-year-old dog, is blind and arthritic. My experience is that polydactyl cats are very sweet indeed. Thus, cats with extra toes are sometimes called "Hemingway cats."Įnjoy your special new kitty. ![]() When Ernest Hemingway lived on Key West, half of his approximately 50 cats were polydactyl their multi-toed descendants still live there. Long ago, sailors called their polydactyl felines "ship's cats" and considered them good luck because they were excellent mousers and could even climb the rigging in pursuit of their prey. In some cats, the extra thumbs on the front feet are opposable, making it easier for the cat to manipulate small objects. Polydactylism affects the cat's front paws more often than the hind paws. Thus, a single additional thumb may be referred to as digit 1.5, or several thumbs may be called 1a, 1b, 1c and so forth. Most cats have five toes on their front paws and four on the rear paws, which lack the "big toe." Toes are numbered from the thumb to the baby finger, so the thumb is digit 1, the pointer finger is digit 2, and the outermost is digit 5.Įxtra toes are numbered with decimals or letters. This common, inherited condition poses no problems, provided that you trim the claws on the thumbs to prevent them from growing into the pads. What is this called? Should the extra thumbs be surgically removed?Ī: Your new cat is polydactyl, which in Greek means multiple (poly-) digits (-dactyl). I've never seen a cat with so many thumbs. Cat thumbs plus#Both of her front paws have the normal four toes - plus three thumbs instead of one. Q: I've had cats before, but none ever looked like the cat I adopted this week from the shelter. ![]()
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