What caused Tommy's palate soft blockage?

Question.
For eight months I battled with Tommy's problems. He was allergic to several forms of house or dust mites, as well as to plaque. We finally resorted to steroid injections so he could have some quality of life rather than constant pills and vets trips. This worked beautifully for a month and he then developed a breathing problem. The X-rays showed some blockage in his airway above the soft palate which did not seem to be cancerous but which could not be flushed out by the vet or by the cat's own sneezes. It was closing off his airway and he was practically unable to eat. I had him put down but it was heartbreaking to have fought for so long and lost him just when the way seemed clearing.

Could this blockage have been something to do with an underlying problem which was obviously never diagnosed? Were the allergies a symptom of something more deeply wrong? And, if once the allergies were suppressed with steroids did the problem manifest in this blockage? Also, can you give me advice on keeping cats indoors with the option of an outside run/enclosure? I have two rescue cats at present and would dearly love to re home two or more cats but want them to be only allowed in a secure run.

Answer.
I am so sorry to hear of all Tommy's problems. Unfortunately, it is not possible to tell you the exact cause of the blockage because there are a number of possible explanations. This may have been a 'new' problem that was unrelated to his allergies. Cats can develop growths, polyps, cancers. bacterial infections, fungal infections or accumulations of inflammatory tissue at the back of their noses, and because it is such a difficult area to reach it can be very difficult to identify the exact nature of the blockage.

If Tommy's allergies had caused inflammation in his nose it is also possible that they triggered off a process of scarring which might continue to develop even after the inflammation had been controlled by the steroid treatment he had been having.

With regard to cat-proofing your garden this can be done and many people find it a useful way to allow their cat/s access to the outdoors, while still protecting them from the hazards of nearby roads. and from fights with neighbouring cats. The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has published an
advice sheet containing a lot of useful information on how to go about doing this.

_{source Your Cat Mag.}