Hyperthyroidism is a condition that affects cats in which
the thyroid glands at the base of the cats’ neck becomes overactive, causing them to produce too much of the hormone thyroxine, which speeds up their metabolism. Scientists don’t know why this happens to some cats, it is most commonly seen in cats over the age of 10 although it can affect younger cats as well. Some common signs of hyperthyroidism in cats include;

• Increased appetite and/or thirst
• Weight loss
• Behavioural changes such as hyperactivity,
  restlessness and being more vocal
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Poor coat condition
• Enlargement of the thyroid gland
• Fast heart rate

If you think your cat might be exhibiting these symptoms it is important to get it checked by a vet. They will be able to do a simple test using a blood sample to determine whether your cat has hyperthyroidism or not.

If a cat with hyperthyroidism is left untreated, the condition can begin to affect the vital organs such as the heart or the liver which will eventually be fatal. There are a number of different treatments available for cats with hyperthyroidism and at Cats Protection we commonly treat it with surgery to remove one or both glands of the thyroid under general anaesthesia, after their metabolism and hormone levels have been stabilised with medication. Cats recover quickly from the surgery and it offers a cure for the cat’s condition, meaning they can be rehomed relatively quickly and go on to lead long, healthy lives in their forever homes.

Unfortunately the care and treatment needed for cats with hyperthyroidism can be extremely costly and recently at our Newbury Adoption Centre we have had quite the influx of cats with this condition.

The beautiful JD came to us after his owner was unable to care for him anymore. He needed quite a bit of TLC as on top of his
hyperthyroidism he needed quite an extensive dental surgery as well, the cost of which totalling a whopping £1100.00 It was all worth it though as after his thyroidectomy and dental he made a full recovery and is now on his way to his forever home.

Similarly to JD, Socks came to us with an overactive thyroid as well as some very poorly teeth. Unfortunately it took quite a bit of time to stabilise her bloods with medication before she was well enough to undergo surgery, as alongside her thyroidectomy in the end she needed six teeth removed. She is doing very well now though and once she’s finished her course of antibiotics she’ll be all ready to be put up for adoption and find a new, loving home.

Currently also in our care we have two beautiful pairs of cats; the lovely mother and son duo Honey and Squiggles and the adorable sisters Frieda and Nina. Both pairs came in to us very underweight and in a bit of a poor condition, having obviously been suffering from hyperthyroidism for quite a long time. Unfortunately it has been taking a bit of time to get their Thyroxine level down to a point of which thyroidectomy surgery could be safely performed, meaning that they have had to stay in our care on daily medication for several weeks which comes at a very large cost to the centre.

For this reason we are appealing to all our wonderful supporters to please help us to fund Honey, Squiggles, Nina and Freda’s surgery and care. So they, like JD and Socks can find a new loving homes soon too. 

Anything over and above will be used to care for the many other cats
& kittens in our care.  Thank You for your support