Something rather extraordinary has begun happening-my seizure disorder has become quite active (that’s not extraordinary, just a pain), and apparently my 2-year-old Orange Tabby Kaya knows when they are coming-and now that I know what she’s reacting that way about, I know when they ‘re coming, a luxury I’ve never had.

I’ve heard of dogs who were trained to be seizure alert dogs, well my cat trained herself to be a seizure alert cat. She will tend to assume a vertical position against me, like a little kitty tower standing on her hind legs or sitting up with her body full-length up-think squirrel with a nut, but she’s keeping her balance by leaning hard against my knee if I’m standing, or my shoulder if I’m sitting.

You have to realize she weighs about fifteen pounds, and with her doing this I’m not going to get up without moving her-and when I try, she
leans ALL her weight against me with everything she has.

Is this common? More importantly, how dangerous is this for her?

Could I be hurting my kitty when I seize, since she apparently insists on being right there? And what on earth do I do about that?

Terri
Kalamazoo, MI

Pets never cease to amaze me.

Humans reap countless emotional and physical benefits from their pets. Dogs can sense low blood sugar in diabetic owners. Petting a cat alleviates high blood pressure. Therapy animal visits motivate hospitalized patients to get well. And, as your question illustrates, cats can detect oncoming seizures and help their owners survive extreme neurological events.

An individual suffering a seizure generally is not conscious during the event. Regardless of how much you care about Kaya there is no way to ensure that she isn’t injured while she tries to help you.

Fortunately, as every cat lover knows, cats have lightening quick reflexes. I hope that you never will hurt Kaya during a seizure.

Helping you during your seizures is a risk that Kaya seems willing to take. Do right by her. It is clear that she is doing her best for you.