Meet Goose. Goose is a year old cuddly, orange tabby cat. He is technically a sanctuary cat because he has immune system issues. He was left outside as a kitten (not sure if he was born outside or just left outside; and we are not sure how long he lived outside for) and he picked up some bacteria that we can’t get rid of.  We took him in after his first adopter returned him to the rescue. Since October of 2021, Goose has had 9 rounds of antibiotics and has had some pretty serious symptoms. Every few weeks he suffers with lethargy, loss of appetite, and thick/sticky mucus that can seal his nostrils and his eyes. He loses a lot of weight and just wants to be carried everywhere. He has seen four vets and so far, no one has been able to cure him of the bacteria.

When Goose is healthy, he is energetic, playful, sweet, outgoing, and ALWAYS hungry. He is a therapy cat in training and likes going with me for coffee dates. He loves to go for car rides, meet new people and animals, and find new places to explore. When he is healthy, Goose has so much energy I can barely keep up with him. He bites my feet for attention, scratches up the couch, plays (loudly) with his adopted brother Mango ALL. NIGHT. LONG, and is intensely curious. He likes to follow me around the entire house and be an active participant in absolutely everything. He wants to see what is on the hot stove, what is in the sink, he likes to “help” me clean the counters. Some days it feels like he has enough energy for two cats. I just want to find a way to keep him that healthy. I see other cats from Instagram walking through a field of flowers or going to the beach and I think “how would Goose like this”? But he has health issues.

What I have been able to do is lessen his symptoms with some homemade remedies. I make him an immune booster that is made of:

· Lemon juice/ chicken bone broth

· L-lysine

· L-lysine with NAC

· Sodium Ascorbate vitamin C powder

· Vitamins

· Probiotics

· Milk thistle extract (liver and kidney cleanser)

· Krill Oil (which seems to help with his energy level and makes his fur look healthier)

· Pine Bark Extract (which seems to help with the amount of mucus)

I make this every week and now vary his dosage depending on his symptoms but have given from 2-5ccs once or twice per day. Too much makes him very lethargic but clears him up.  If there are any veterinarians out there who have other suggestions, I am happy to take them. I have run this list of items past two vets, and they have approved. The Krill oil and Pine Bark I added one at a time to test Goose’s response. I’m hoping this blog will help anyone else who has a cat with immune disorders find some new ideas and that someone else will have suggestions for me. This is an on-going battle for my cat’s health, and he is starting to perk up again as of this week. Goose is only a year old. I want him to have a full and healthy life but realistically if I can help him get past this year, I will be grateful.