My cat suddenly couldn't walk… the cause was hypothermia at 35 degrees! The day her life was miraculously saved

What can an owner do if their beloved cat suddenly develops "hypothermia" at home? On December 21st, just before Christmas, as I waited for my cat Gigi's examination in the waiting room of the veterinary hospital, I searched online, desperate for any information.

But I couldn't find the information I was looking for, so I thought, "In that case, I have no choice but to share this experience," and started writing. Thank you, Poponeko, for allowing me to write this while my memory is fresh. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my direct experience.

Hesitated to take her to the vet for an unknown illness

First, most of the photos in this article are not from that day. On that day, it was an emergency, and I didn't have time to take pictures. I apologize for not being able to show her exact condition in photos.

On December 21st, wanting to relieve some fatigue, I went to a chiropractic clinic in the afternoon. All my cats were fine in the morning, so it was a normal day, so normal that I didn't even think anything of it.

After the chiropractic session, I went to the vet to pick up Gigi's chronic medication and returned home. Then, as usual, I mixed her medication into her "Churu" cat treat, and we had an early Christmas party. I gave my cats a special meal mixed with various wet foods.

At that moment, I suddenly noticed that Gigi seemed off. Hmm? She's not running over even though it's wet food.

Gigi has a calm personality, but she always trots during mealtime. She especially loves wet food and follows me when I carry the dish.

Yet, she just sat down in front of the empty "Churu" dish and didn't move.

Maybe she didn't notice the food. Gigi is sometimes a bit slow, so she occasionally "gets left behind," so I picked her up and carried her to the food, saying, "It's here." However, she licked the wet food twice and then again didn't move from the spot.

In the past, Gigi dislocated her leg after falling from a cat step.

脱臼してから一週間。だいぶ、早く歩けるようになってきた。なによりも、積極的に歩いてなにかをしようとしてくれることが増えて本当に嬉しい。
まだ足は引きずってるけど、ゆっくりじっくり治してこうね。　
歩く、食べる、トイレをする、水を飲む。そういう行為が、全て愛しい。 pic.twitter.com/nuT0qUxfNd

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) December 4, 2021

So, I thought, "Maybe she dislocated it again," and to check, I picked her up several times and tried to make her walk, but she still only took one or two steps before sitting down again.

Hypothermia discovered thanks to the vet's sincere response

But she didn't seem to be in pain, and she walked over to eat the "Churu," so it probably wasn't a dislocation. She sneezed the day before, so maybe she just had a cold and was feeling unwell?

Going to the vet is stressful, so I considered waiting a day to see how she was. Thinking that, I lay down with Gigi on my chest and touched her paw pads, and realized they were as cold as ice.

Huh... Is she cold? Indeed, when I touched her body, it didn't feel as warm as usual.

Feeling anxious, I covered Gigi, who was on my chest, with a blanket to warm her up. To check if she had the energy to resist, I gently extended her claws. Gigi absolutely hates nail trims, and normally she would pull her paw away saying, "What are you doing?!" but on this day, she was just listless...

Ah, this is a much worse situation than I imagined. I knew I had to go to the hospital.

Out of consideration, my boyfriend offered to drive us to the hospital, saying, "It'll be tough to go to the vet twice in one day." Even in the car, Gigi didn't purr as usual. She was so quiet that I worried if she was really in the car.

When I told the vet there was a possibility of a dislocation, the vet released Gigi in the examination room to see if she could walk. Since it was an unfamiliar place, Gigi became excited and walked around, even jumping onto a chair.

I was relieved, thinking, "Oh, she can walk after all," but the vet looked serious. "There must be some reason why she couldn't walk," he said, and after taking her temperature, it was 35 degrees Celsius.

A healthy cat's body temperature is around 40 degrees. Gigi had hypothermia. I'm truly grateful for the vet's judgment not to send us home just because she "could walk and seemed fine." If he had sent us home then, Gigi probably wouldn't be alive.

Hypothermia: Tears, bracing for the worst

After that, blood tests and an ultrasound were performed, and it was diagnosed that she had something like a mass in her abdomen. She had ascites, and her blood pressure was also low. Gigi was admitted to the hospital that day. She was put in an oxygen chamber with an IV drip and had to spend the night there.

Before she was admitted, the vet told me something I never expected to hear: "We don't know if she'll make it through the night." How could this be? She was so元気 (genki, lively/healthy) this morning... I regretted not cuddling her more while I was working yesterday, and I cried in the examination room.

After the admission procedures were completed, the vet thoughtfully asked, "Would you like to visit her?" I was grateful, but the fact that he asked made me feel like I really needed to prepare for the worst, and it was agonizing.

A grown woman holding the cheeks of a cat in an oxygen chamber with both hands, saying "I love you" and "Let's go home again," must have looked incredibly pathetic to others. But I'm glad I was able to honestly express the love I wanted to say at that moment.

My boyfriend, who came to the hospital with me, also touched Gigi and tearfully encouraged her, saying, "Hang in there." This was his first time at a vet, and it ended up like this, so he said, "Maybe it was meant to be. I'm glad we came to the hospital, and I just want her to come home again, even if it's just one more time."

In Gigi's case, the hypothermia was due to an internal anomaly. However, for fully indoor cats, where room temperature is often controlled, it can be difficult to notice if your cat has hypothermia. On the other hand, early detection and early treatment are crucial for hypothermia.

I felt that understanding your cat's "normal" is important for smooth treatment.

And it's also important to find a vet who doesn't just dismiss it by saying, "She can't walk, but there's no nerve problem, so she's fine."

If you notice anything unusual, like Gigi suddenly being unable to walk, not resisting things she usually dislikes (like nail trims), having cold paw pads or ears, or not feeling a gentle warmth when you touch her body, I hope you will seek out a vet who will perform detailed examinations until you are satisfied (and quickly).

Also, when a cat has hypothermia, you might feel an urge to "warm them up immediately!", but warming them too quickly can be dangerous. It's important not to try to handle everything yourself; instead, wrap them in a towel and take them to the vet as quickly as possible. Relying on the proper channels is safer and prevents future regrets.

Although the underlying treatment isn't complete yet, it's almost a miracle that Gigi is here by my side now.

(From here are fresh, unpublished photos)

I wanted to see her at home again. I wanted to hug her tightly. I'm truly happy that the prayer I made that day, forgetting to sleep, came true.

It was an experience that made me realize once again that she isn't just a "cat," but "family."

If this experience can be useful information for someone, nothing would make me happier. May the lives of irreplaceable cats be preserved for everyone.