A few years ago his owners noticed that he was getting stiff and having trouble jumping up on the window sill to check the yard. Because he is not a fan of pills he has a medication rubbed on his ears to ease the pain in his joints. Guard duty is a lot easier now.
Since he fled his last home a decade or so ago he has had intermittent bouts of flu. Often this happens during times of stress - as defined by Andy. His carers manage this by bathing his eyes and nose, giving him lots of TLC and with antibiotics when necessary.
A few years ago his carers noticed that he was vomiting more and more and losing a bit of weight. His vet diagnosed food intolerance or inflammatory bowel disease. A special diet for sensitive stomachs keeps the carpet clean.
A mild heart murmur has never worried him, but today we found that his blood pressure is up a bit - and that worried us. He may have to go on medication to bring it down because high blood pressure damages cats' eyes, kidneys and other organs.
Andy Mitchell is a typical older cat - multiple little problems that when managed well let him live the life he enjoys.
