Sue,

Your input here is very encouraging to me.  Considering the age difference
between Trooper and Scooter's, I feel even more encouraged.  I have dealt
with human spinal arthritis personally and for my husband and I'd mentioned
before in another post the jury is still out for me regarding the
glucosamine supplement.  Spurs on vertabrae affecting the spinal cord and
numerous nerves stemming from there is a different form of arthritis ..
termed more I believe as spondylosis ... it may be very minute but in such a
beginning damaging stage that an x-ray just won't show it.  I personally
went thru this myself with intense pain and had to have a myelogram and
later an MRI done.  If I had not had it done, I would have eventually been
paralyzed from my neck down.  X-rays had shown nothing.  I see Trooper in
pain and it simply is not logical to me to let him live forever with being
"sensitive to touch" that obviously is painful for him.  I, also, see in his
look at me that he truly wants to cuddle up with me like we did and he wants
me to hold him and pick him up for lovie, but he is talking to me here and I
can't accept FHS as being his diagnosis that has no means for fixing.   I'm
an oddball, I know, I know cats can't talk, but I know he is pleading with
me to help him desperately.  If there was some way for me to post a short
video of his face and facial expressions .. this boy has them to the hilt.
During this last week as things for him have become worsened .. growling,
hissing, biting, clawing .. from a cat that a few weeks prior was curled up
comfy upon my breast with his head laying on my shoulder, paws extended
around near my ears, and my arm around him with no growling, hissing,
biting, clawing.  I've seen intermittent bits occur with him , but these
last number of days especially since Thursday last week .. my only thought
is a very pinched nerve.  If no one here on this group has never had one, it
is a horrible and painful experience.  The body often manages to overcome
and correct it, but can and often takes several very long months to do so.

In view of Trooper's age and considering your cat's age in this given
comparison of symptomology, I may opt to request to do the full back x-ray
requiring anesthesia you indicated than doing an x-ray (if the vet is
amenable to this step first .. especially since I had talked with him before
about neurological concern).  I don't think it would show up on a regular
x-ray, but I do truly believe something is present and is unlikely to show
up on an x-ray purely because of his young anatomy.   Trooper hesitates a
lot to jump up and avoids it .. but, that durned window is too hard to
resist to jump up to look outside .. he can't live without that window, so
he pushes hard to jump up .. but, he has only the low level of my futon bed
(first level) to jump and to have a break to paus before jumping the back
top of my futon (I have it in the sofa position pimarily for him to reach
the window view).

You mentioned that Scooter's back and hind legs bothered him.  Can you
elaborate a little more on this for me?  I'd truly appreciate this part very
much.  Your observation(s).  I'm holding back my own mostly since I don't
know how to express it better than .. well .. they bother him.

Also, you mentioned Scooter had problems in walking .. walking in circles ..
back arched.  Can you elaborate more on this?  Did he act "jumpy?" I'm not
talking as in "skiddish."   I mean like he would perhaps growl or give the
expression he'd give if he were to growl and then get up, pause, move a few
paces, pause, go back to where he had been resting and pause again, and then
maybe just bolt and run down the hallway lickety split?  I don't know if
this describes walking in circles or if the running down the hallway is some
other type of response/reflex to arching his back since it would require
back arcing to scamper .. perhaps for relief or relaese of frustrationor
pressure of pain, dunno.

The urinating problem for Scooter ... and your mention of thinking it was
painful for him to use the litter box.  My cats' litter boxes are in the
garage, so I don't see Trooper's behavior there.  But, twice over a month's
time here he came into my room and urinated on my dirty and clean laundry
that I generally have never had in the places where they were.  Well, having
3 male cats one may think territorial or behavoral, but this just wasn't
normal.  He made a point of doing it in front of me as well, but acted
reluctant before he did so ... pain?  I, also, asked myself, did I not scoop
the box well enough?  Did your sweet Scooter urinate at any time outside his
litter box that you are aware?  I always have viewed urination outside the
box in front of me or knowing I'm aware or will know immediately the deed is
being done or done to be a dire communication.  Trooper's never urinated
outside his box (that I know about anyway ... nothing smells bad).  What
made you think it was painful for Scooter to use the box?  I know nerves
control the autonomic paths for urination and defecation, so am wondering if
you can express your thoughts about Scooter here and why you thought he was
perhaps having pain urinating?

Two years since surgery and what you've indicated tells me sweet Scooter
isn't in pain.  Cuddle and hug him for me would you?  I will have more
questions, just too tired tonight to write further.  Robin

My cat, Squirt, is ...was 11 years old in the photos .. gee, I guess he's 12
now hahhaa.  The long story made as short as possible is I rented a room in
my house last year and proved to be a vile deadbeat.  I can't prove he had
anything to do with Squirt's terrible leg injury but .. well, it's like with
Scott Peterson .. no tangible evidence to link him to the crime, but all the
suspicious behavior is/was present.  All the leg bones had been broken in
many places and then jammed together .. and had healed for two weeks ..
Squirt was missing for two weeks.  His belly was lacerated as well.  I had
his dental done (he had a broken tooth), had some warts on his head and ear
removed (may see the stitches in the photos), sewed up the laceration .. all
done during the first surgery. So, upon his returning home and the resulting
surgeries and many many months of home IV's and numerous foot bandages (and
three expensive splints .. he got away from me a couple times), he is
completely healed and doing fine.  One claw on another foot was injured, but
it wasn't noticed until later and too late to fix it now .. and it works.
It just doesn't go back in his paw all the way so I can know it's him
walking down the hallway due to the little click-click on the wood floor.
One hard part here was I had decided to adopt Trooper just before Squirt
reappeared from being missing.  So, Trooper thought he was top cat of the
house when Squirt showed up from missing.  Talk about having my hands full
with my two sweeties.  I haven't made it to Wal-Mart yet to get my photos of
Squirt, Trooper and Greyson.  I was up too late last night and destroyed me
for accomplishing anything today. I had a most irritating day yesterday ..
another long story I won't go into, but I didn't sleep well.