HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- Patches, the once 42-pound cat put up for adoption from Richmond Animal Care and Control nearly three years ago, has suffered a medical setback, according to his owner.
Kay Ford believes the white and gray domestic shorthair may have recently injured his back or is suffering from previously undiagnosed arthritis.
"Never in the three years of being his mama has he ever hissed at me. But he hissed at everybody today," Ford posted on Thursday.
The Mechanicsville woman said she knew something was wrong when Patches did not eat his lunch.
"I found it kind of unusual that he had not slept with me last night, but only now does it seem understandable," she wrote.
Ford said Patches' injury is "in a very specific location and obviously hurts him fairly badly."
The 8-year-old feline, who was previously described as "a steamroller" after his "constant headbutting" broke Ford's pantry door in a bid to access food in late January, has been prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication and gabapentin for the pain.
Ford said she sometimes feels like a "helicopter mom," but is relieved to have figured out what was wrong with the cat. Now she is "trying to quell his normal cat impulses that we have worked so hard for him to regain."
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"I would’ve never guessed back pain. Having this figured out now so that he could get on the meds he needs to feel better is such a relief," she wrote. "The key is not to let him exacerbate his injury, thinking he can do everything because he’s not in pain."
Ford said she has relegated Patches to a bedroom that has a ramp going up to the bed for her other cat, Sumi.
"Patches loves to sleep on that bed," Ford shared. "There’s a floor-to-almost-ceiling door into that bedroom, so I think that’s just where he is going to stay unless I’m home and can keep an eye on him."
The medical setback comes as the feline inches closer to his latest goal weight. He is now roughly two pounds away from 16 pounds.
For perspective, Patches weighed in at 18.48 pounds seven weeks ago.
Ford noted that Patches, who reached his first weight-loss goal of 20 pounds in late July, has become more and more mobile since slimming down.
Ford has previously credited Patches' strict diet and veterinary care since his adoption in late April 2023 with helping him lose more than half his body weight.
"My amazing vet, Dr. Meaghan, is extremely passionate about cat nutrition," Ford previously told the national outlet, The Dodo. "She helped me create a plan. She was able to give me a calorie count and what kind of food would be best for him."
Ford said she is proud of his progress and grateful for all the support.
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More than 54,000 people are following Patches' weight-loss journey on the Patches Journey Facebook page.
"We are overwhelmed by the number of people who share with us both publicly on the page and privately how much light following Patches’ Journey page brings to you. Patches' Journey continues," Ford wrote.
Ford told The Dodo that when she first adopted Patches, he could only "take two or three steps and then he'd have to lie down."
"The size of him took my breath away," she said. "I don't know what his backstory is, but he is too sweet of a cat to not have been loved."
Ford said the feline's "personality was completely encased in his obesity."
"In the very beginning, he would only lie down on the floor and eat," she said. "So I made a commitment to get him moving by committing myself to doing at least 10 minutes of time, five times a day of play, whether it was a stick toy or a laser pointer; any kind of movement whatsoever was necessary."
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