Cat of the Month – January 2026: Remembering Frankie
This month’s Cat of the Month is a very special, posthumous tribute to Frankie, a nearly 15-year-old ginger and white domestic short hair who was memorable for all the right (and challenging!) reasons.
Let’s be frank - Frankie was not an easy patient to deal with, even though she was very bonded to her hooman mum. In fact, she was famously difficult to handle. Even with our special Kevla blanket, she made it very clear that veterinary examinations were not on her list of favourite activities. She was a home-visit patient, but even then she would usually disappear and hide the moment we arrived, and anything more involved—such as blood tests—required sedation. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, we all had a real soft spot for her. Frankie had character, opinions, and absolutely no interest in pretending otherwise.
Medically, Frankie had been doing well. She had hyperthyroidism that was well controlled on Thyronorm, and a heart scan the previous year showed only subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at that time. HCM in cats can be very unpredictable—some cats remain stable for years with few or no outward signs, while others can deteriorate suddenly. One of the risks with HCM is that changes in heart structure and blood flow can allow blood clots to form within the heart. If a clot dislodges, it can travel through the bloodstream and lodge in an artery, cutting off blood supply to a limb.
Sadly, Frankie presented very suddenly with what appeared to be a “broken leg,” but in her case the affected limb was a forelimb, which is less common and made this a more unusual presentation. Further testing confirmed this was a thromboembolism. By comparing glucose levels between the affected limb and a normal limb, the affected leg showed a markedly lower glucose reading, helping us reach a rapid diagnosis.
Frankie sitting pretty for the camera
Although there are treatments that can sometimes help cats with thromboembolism, the prognosis is guarded, and Frankie found any form of veterinary intervention extremely stressful. Taking her nature and welfare into account, her human made the kind and compassionate decision to let her go peacefully, at home, and without further distress.
Frankie was never an easy patient—but she was a great one. She reminded us that cats don’t have to be cuddly or compliant to be deeply loved and respected, and that good veterinary care is about understanding the individual in front of you.
Rest peacefully, Frankie. You will be remembered. 🧡
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