The cat woke up its owner every night and kicked her out of the bedroom: the woman thought the cat had mental problems until she took her to the vet…
The cat woke up its owner every night and kicked her out of the bedroom: the woman thought the cat had mental problems until she took her to the vet.
I am a veterinarian, and I often get calls at night. People are sure that if you have a diploma, you are obliged to solve everything – from sneezing a dog to saving their life. But Anna called during the day. And there was such fatigue in her voice, as if she had not slept for several months.
– Good afternoon, is this the clinic? My name is Anna. I have an appointment with you. I have a problem with my cat… She is not letting me sleep.
The phrase “cats keep you up” could mean anything. But her tone wasn’t one of irritation, but of anxiety.
Anna came in neatly dressed, a little tense. About fifty-five years old, austere haircut, coat to match her boots. She held the carrier carefully, as if it were porcelain inside.
“It’s Luna,” she said. “A nice name, my husband chose it. But at night she’s not Luna, but an alarm clock with claws.”
Big eyes were looking at me from the carrier. A big gray cat, thick fur, calm gaze. No aggression.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Anna took a deep breath.
“She wakes me up every night. Always around three or four in the morning. At first she gently touches my cheek with her paw. If I don’t react, she starts hitting me harder. She can bite my hand. She pulls the blanket. Until I get up and go to sleep on the sofa in the living room, she doesn’t calm down. And as soon as I leave, she lies down on my pillow and sleeps until morning.
— How long has it been going on?
— About three months. At first I thought her temper had changed. Then I decided it was my nerves. The therapist said it was insomnia due to stress. He gave her a sedative. But it didn’t get any better.
Luna sat calmly next to her owner and didn’t take her eyes off her. I examined the cat. Her heart was steady, her breathing was clear, her weight was normal. She was a completely healthy animal.
And at that moment I suddenly realized with horror that the cat had no mental problems — and what was happening was much worse…
— Anna, — I asked, — how do you feel when she wakes you up?
She thought about it.
— It’s bad. My heart is pounding. My mouth is dry. Sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe. At first I think my blood pressure is going up. I pop a pill under my tongue and go to the couch. It gets better there after a while.
“Has anyone told you that you snore?”
She was confused.
“A neighbor once said that I seem to fall silent at night and then take a sharp breath.”
I looked at the cat. She didn’t take her eyes off Anna.
“It seems like Luna isn’t waking you up because she’s angry,” I said. “Maybe she’s reacting to what’s happening to you in your sleep. Animals can sense when your breathing changes or your heartbeat becomes strange. For her, that’s an alarm signal.”
Anna looked at me as if I had said something strange.
“Are you saying she’s saving me?”
“I can’t prove it,” I replied. “But I’m sure the cat isn’t the problem.” You need to get some tests done. Blood, sugar, check your heart, maybe sleep breathing. Start with that.
She was silent for a long time, then nodded.
A week later Anna called again. There was no longer that dull tiredness in her voice.
“I got some tests done,” she said. “I have high sugar levels. The doctor sent me to a cardiologist. They found a heart problem. They said I stop breathing at night. They sent me for an examination. The doctor said it was serious.”
She paused and added quietly:
“If Luna hadn’t woken me up… I would have continued to blame everything on my nerves.”
Anna is currently undergoing treatment. They’ve prescribed her medication and prescribed sleep therapy. She’s already sleeping better. Luna still comes to me at night, but now she just lies down next to me and purrs softly.
