Cat... Seizures..... Low Blood Sugars?????

I had a cat who could detect my seizures. He would come and sit in front of me and stare at me. Then I would sit down, and he would put his front paw on my leg until the seizure past. (I did not conulse, by the way.) He also did the same thing when I was in labor. I think people underestimate cats sometimes. Unfortunately, his precious life ended due to renal failure two weeks ago. He was only 5 years old, but his life was precious to me because he took care of me in many ways. Enjoy your sensitive and loving cat and trust his/her instincts.

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Hi M..
Animals are very intuitive and in tune with things that go on with us. To me, animals are quite amazing.
I think it is awesome that your cat is so in tune with your sons health. There are some vitamins you can give to regulate the sugar/seizures so you don't have to rely so much on medication with so many side effects. If you would like more info on this, I would be glad to pass it along just to read and be informed about all your options out there. I love to learn.
I mean well. I know how stressful it can be to have a child that is sick. My daughter has multiple heart defects and with that comes, multiple issues.
May God richly bless you and your family.
W. Morris from Indiana

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There have been a lot of recorded instances of cats and dogs that are so in tune with their families that they can warn others when something like a seizure is coming on. Animals have a hightened sense of smell and hearing as well as touch that some think can detect the very beginning of a seizure before a human's senses can. Dogs have been known to wake owners during the night in the onset of a tornado and cats to warn of a fire that hasn't set off the smoke detector. God has really designed each creature with unique abilities, some that we could never explain otherwise.

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No with the cat but maybe you should look into getting your child's carnitine levels checked. An endocrinologist doesn't usually order the test unless the parent already knows about it. The neurologist can't understand why.
Anyway, my daughter has seizures and low blood sugar. Found out that she, my oldest son, AND I have low carnitine levels too. Who would have thought. If the levels are low all your child needs is a supplement and for the docs to monitor the levels.
We are still in the process of figuring out why the carnitine is low. God Bless.

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WOO FOR YOUR KITTY CAT!!!

As a major cat lover (we have 2 that live with us & I have 1 that now lives with her "Grammy", my mom) I am so excited for you!!! I am so glad that your cat has suh a bond with your child. They choose their human & that is that.

As for the low-blood sugar seizures...you might want your son to have a snack before bed each night (I always found peanut butter crackers to be good) & then be sure to leave a snack on the night stand in case he wakes up & feels jittery, cold (from low-blood sugar), etc. My step-dad always drinks orange juice when he feels his levels dropping.

As for the snack thing...this is totally to the side of your post subject...if you do give him a snack before bed...plese don't forget about the tooth brushing & if he needs a snack in the middle of the night...well...he can either swish some water around or you can just let it go & wait til morning to brush his teeth. I know that this might sound crazy or bossy...the whole "make sure your kid brushes his teeth" thing & Yes, I realize that good dental habits are certainly a low second to the reality of him having these seizures....but the dental health really is important. I have found (not a doctor here...so, please don't take my opinions or advice over a doctors)that many people with hypoglycemic tendencies, diabetes, low-blood sugar issues, etc. tend to have to work a bit harder at the whole dental health than others. I, for instance, have SUPER sensitive teeth & have to use the toothpaste for sensitive teeth (the Dollar Tree brand works SO MUCH BETTER than the $5 a tube Sensodyne!!)

OK...I am done for now...I hope that something in my novel of a post (*grin*) is helpful.

Again...woo for your kitty cat. Git it lots of love & praise & please...tell it thank you.

best of luck.

be well. -A..

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M.,
I've heard of seizure patients having dogs that can tell when they are about to have a seizure, but not a cat. I'm sure it's not unusual though because animals are very in tune with their owners and their emotions and feelings. I would say pay close attention at night to the signals your cat gives you for your son's sake.

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Absolutely! Your cat has an amazing bond with your son. I had a friend whose dog would not let her out of the house. Few hours later she had a seizure! Somehow they know. They are furry guardian angels!

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Cats & dogs are VERY intuitive of their owners. Definitely pay attention to the cats cues. They can read us not only emotionally but physically & have been known to save their owner's lives.

We have a cat and it is my daughters she and the cat are very close. I have had our cat come to me quite often when something had been wrong with my daughter. The last time was about a year ago when my daugter started running a high fever in the middle of the night. As you said the cat came into my room and would not leave me alone until I got up an followed her to my daughters room and then she stood by my daughter and cryed until I came in the room and checked on her. So yes I do beleve that they can tell when something is not right.

M.,
I'm sorry for your son's situation. Just so you know, I've been there, done that. I was diagnosed with Diabetes at age 10, I'm 30 now, but from ages 12-22 I would have seizures in the middle of the night due to insulin shock. My doctors would have me drink a large glass of milk and eat a piece or two of cheese before I would go to bed. The protein helped to keep my blood sugars level through the night. Anyway...to answer your question, yes, I have heard of cats and dogs doing this with people. Actually I remember reading an article about dogs that are trained to do this for severe diabetics or those with seizure disorders. The animals can sense the seizure activity prior to it happening. I remember reading a case in particular where a lady had such severe seizures that she was disabled, unable to work, drive, go to school, etc. Her dog was very helpful in alerting her to seizure activity, so that she could ensure she was in a safe place, sitting down, etc. She decreased her trips to the hospital from injurys during her seizure activity due to her dog. That is the extent of my knowledge about this, I just wanted you to know that it is common for animals to respond in the manner that your cat has and it is common to have the seizure activity with low blood sugar levels. Good luck to you and your son! Take care.

Absolutely! Animals can smell the subtle chemical changes that take place in the body when a person is about to have a seizure. They can also smell and react to some medical conditions like cancers and diabetes. This is new ground but the medical profession is very aware of it and those on the cutting edge are learning to capitalize this amazing ability by training animals to signal when there is an impending 'crisis' and go get help. Kudos to your cat!

Yes! It is VERY possible. I had a cat that one time came to me where I was laying on the couch taking a nap, and kept on bugging me, she even took her paw and was like tapping on my arm. So I finally got annoyed and got up, because she would NOT STOP! I said, "what??!!" and she ran to the dining room. I followed her and discovered that a pot pourri dish had caught fire.
So yeah, the cat could very well be trying to tell you something is wrong. It's so awesome to have a pet like that. Give that cat a treat!

I've not heard of it so much with cats as with dogs. I know there are even certain breeds of dogs that can detect seizures, cancers, and all sorts of disorders. So I would think it would be likely that cats could do the same thing. Consider yourself lucky that you've got an animal who can warn you about this.

This doesn't surprise me. When I daughter was still in a crib, one day when she was supposed to be napping we could hear her fussing over the baby monitor. Our cat kept running out to the living room, meowing at us, and running back to her room. I finally followed him in there to find that she'd wrapped a cord from the window blinds around her neck (!!!). Fortunately she was okay - but I from then on I always trusted my cats and followed them when they "demanded" it.

Yes, I have heard of this! My mother is a diabetic, and had a cat for many many years that was only bonded with her. When they began to "tweak" her medications her glucose levels would drop dangerously low, and she would be to groggy to wake herself up. Her cat knew (we assume by smelling her breath) when she was in trouble and would nudge her, "yell" at her, and on occasion, bite and claw at her face until she could wake enough to reach the emergency life savers taped to her head-board.

When I was working in retail several years ago, a woman came into our store once a week with her cat. Security finally decided that cats were not welcome, and asked her to stop bringing the cat. She then produced papers certifying that the cat was a service animal. The woman has epilepy, and the cat could tell when she was going to have a seizure and warn her before it happened.

Cats are amazing little balls of fur.

I know that dogs can "sense" seizures, so I guess that it's possible cats can as well!

I have heard of things like this happening. They even have a show on animal planet about things like this. I think pets understand more than we think they do. I think you are very lucky to have such a wonderful pet!

It is on TV all the time about cats and dogs doing things like that. I believe in it.

That doesn't sound good going into a seizure with low blood sugar. Sounds like that needs to get regulated quickly.

Hi M..I've heard of dogs doing that and saved a life or two ,I'm sure.Why not cats? God will and does use different methods.He sure is a loving God!Seems like your cat is sort of your son's guardian angel. I'll be praying for you.Low sugar is nothing to laugh at.Doctors need to help you get his sugar up.And help to get to the bottom of WHY.I can imagine that it is tearing you up.My heart hurts for you.Love you,S. L.

Absolutely! The cat is very bonded and is your watch cat for your son. She knows it will happen before you do. I think it is probably a smell he may give off. Listen to her, she could save his life!

My almost 3 year old daughter has seizures and our German Shephard Dog has always alerted us. Our GSD has no assistance training, but has been our daughter's guardian angel since the day we came home from the hospital with her. At that time, we hadn't gotten a monitor. Our GDS slept next to her crib and would alert us when she woke up. If she was just shifting around in her crib, then the dog would leave her and us be.

We started noticing our GSD's behavior after her second seizure. Now we know that our daughter is about to seize when our GSD starts certain behaviors.

If your cat starts alerting you, listen. Animals have a sense that we don't.

I have heard that animals can since a chemical change in humans before a seizure will strike.

My daughter is a type 1 diabetic and has seizures. We have looked in to acquiring a diabetic service dog, a dog that is trained to alert the owner when their blood sugar is getting low before they have a seizure. They also have service dogs just for people with seizure disorders. Apparently animals have so many olfactory receptors that human beings could not possibly understand just how much they are affected by smell. I think it sounds like your cat is alerting like a trained service dog. If I were you, I would check his blood sugar the next time you cat alerts and be prepared with glucose tablets to help raise your son's blood sugar before he has a seizure.
How remarkable!
Good luck.

I've heard of animals being able to predict all kinds of problems. There are dogs who can predict seizures and can sniff out cancer... I haven't heard of cats (particularly for that). However, I read one account of cats that could predict death living in a nursing home. I think they can smell something different in their "people"
Good luck, I hope everything works out for you guys!

M.,

I know when my grandmother use to have seizure like "spells: our cat would not leave her until she was pretty much out of it then it would come and drive us crazy until we got up. They seem to be very in tune with these type things. If the cat come and trys to get you out of bed i would definantly see what it is wanting. They seem to be pretty smart in this area! Even on days my grandmother is not feeling well, it seems like the cat is ALWAYS with her like it just knows. They are pretty cool little helpers that don't get much credit. And believe me I am not one to give animals mch credit, but I do think they can sence these things.

Both dogs and cats can be very sensitive to physical changes in people they are familiar with. They can detect changes in odor that we are totally unaware of, changes that are caused by whatever is occurring in the person's body. There are dogs trained to detect cancerous tumors by smell. There was a cat featured on TV who is a resident pet at a nursing home, and he ALWAYS knows when one of the elderly patients is getting ready to pass on. Be thankful for your cat!

Hello M.

I have heard of dogs and cats that have been able to predict their owners oncoming seizures or other medical conditions. You are very fortunate to have such an extremely blessed pet.

I hope all goes well for you and your family.

M.,

I have never heard of a cat doing this, only a dog. But cats are a lot smarter and in tune with their owners that people give them credit for.

We had a cat who, up until her death at age 20, use to listen to everything my husband I would say. If we argued she would always run up to me and bite my arm. My husband said she was a "smart" girl, because she never bit him. She wanted us to quit arguing.

Pay attention to your cats messages. They are smart.

K. A.

Cats are absolutely sensitive to such things, and when your cat does this, make sure you give her the praise she deserves so she will continue to do it.

I've read that birds, monkeys and dogs have been useful in detecting even when someone is STARTING a seizure and are sometimes even used as service animals to alert their 'person' or lead him/her to a safe place. Rats and mice have alerted underground miners of an impending roof-fall, because they can sense the slightest tremors in the earth before a human can and start scampering about. I'd say the cat knows what s/he's 'talking' about!

Dear M.,

You are very fortunate to have a pet that acts as a service animal. It's more commonly found in dogs, and this is a real phenomenon. Do some checking into it and find out if there is something you are supposed to be doing to reward the cat for its efforts. Sounds a little funny, but animal psychology is different from humans. Good luck with your son.
All my best, D.

Oh definitely they know. There are all sorts of 'service animals' for just this very sort of thing. I joked about taking one of my cats with me on cruises, (I love to cruise, but I miss my animals so much while I'm away!) by 'saying' she is my 'service kitty' for my migraines! She unfortunately is not really however. I jokingly still call that particular cat (I have 15 cats, Ha!!!) my little 'service kitty', just because she was the one I was joking about before a cruise one time. But seriously, they DO know, and yes you are very blessed to have that angel cat to help you with your son! Encourage that behavior! And thank GOD or whoever your higher power may be that you ARE blessed with this angel helper in cat form!!! :)!!

You know I have heard of animals do similar things. There was one story I heard about a baby was choking and a dog went and woke the parents up out of bed. This can be a good thing. I believe animals know when something is wrong. Just don't let her nag too long get up and see what the deal is. Good luck Jennifer

There was an news story not too long ago about a cat that lived in a nursing home who would go and sit with the elderly right before or as they were passing. Animals seem to have a sense about things like this; your seems to use his to assist you with your son.

Sounds like you have a great cat! I do not have experience with seizures and cats, but years ago my cat woke me up when my apartment building was on fire. I was sleeping, and did not hear the sirens nor the firemen banging on the door. My smoke alarms failed. My cat licked my eyelids...even after I pushed him to the floor trying to get him to stop. He just kept doing it until I woke up completely. My entire apartment was filled with smoke. It's wonderful when pets know something needs immediatee attention. Best of luck with your son's condition.

I have a cat that I rescued when she was about 6 weeks old. She is now almost 2 years old.
She comes to me when I call, she fetches and retrieves as well as 'sits' on command.

I have MS, and when I am getting ready to have a 'bad' day she knows before I do and shadows me everywhere I go. When I have to lay down, she is right there with me and won't leave my side. Pets (cats and dogs) are in tune with the ones they love.

I hope that you have luck with controlling your son's seizures, and that your cat continues to alerting you when there is any problems with your son.

C. in NC

Hello,
Your cat seems to be very in tune to your son. It is a very good thing, because kitty can alert you to a change in your son before you begin to see it. I have seen and heard of this in other animals. Be very glad and pay attention when the kitty comes for you!! It could save his life!!!

GOD BLESS YOUR CAT!! Yes, I have heard of cats doing things like this. It's wonderful.

Actually, our dog saved my son's life from a house fire when he was sick in bed.... unfortunately, the dog did not survive. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for yellow labs.

My grandson has seizures, too- the 'absence' seizures.

Blessings,
Suzanne