I saw Texas Ray yesterday, a big old Texas-sized guy of a cat, who has the whole neighborhood loving him, because he's such a character. Texas ("Not Tex, he's too big for shortening his name," says Shelly, his proud owner, who took him in as a bony young stray so many years ago) had a clear case of ADR.

You know this diagnosis? Many species, including ours, succumb to ADR now and then.

It stands for Ain't Doin' Right!

Texas wasn't himself for several weeks, and when Shelly wrote to me, seeking an appointment, her list of how that ADR looked included:

1. Pale gums.
2. Lethargy, sleeping all the time, tired.
3. Grumpy. You know, with that twitchy tail you see when a cat’s irritated.
4. Odd breathing. Texas Ray’s chest would rise and fall without a normal, smooth rhythm to it. Looked kind of jerky. Maybe too fast.
5. He’d been snoring and wheezing, too.
6. Sleeping hunkered down on cool tile, instead of in his usual belly up, legs akimbo, “It’s All Cool” posture.
7. Texas’ shiny coat had gone dull, disheveled, and the black parts were looking rusty reddish. Smooth had turned to coarse since ADR set in.

So, clearly, not a normal state for this guy. And he was talking to Shelly. How? Showing symptoms that weren’t his normal way of doing his life. And she paid attention.

As is not unusual in my busy homeopathic practice, I couldn’t see Texas Ray right away. No room in the inn. He’d already been through the conventional diagnostic tests (blood screens, radiographs, even ultrasound) and nothing appeared abnormal.

So, I was able to see Texas 12 days later, and, lo and behold, he was already better! I took my usual full history to hear where he’d been in his health, and the first, most striking thing was that he had gotten wayyyyy better. Before he got any remedies from me. What happened?

Shelly took away his high end, healthy label commercial food and started tossing him raw quail. Real food.

Texas Ray took to them like a lion to a wildebeest. Devoured them.

And never looked back.

He lost the attitude. The twitchy, edgy business. Gone overnight.

He perked up. Got engaged with his humans once more. Quickly.

His gums pinked up a bit, though they still had a ways to go.

I was happily, though knowingly pleased, with this success story. And a bit surprised. He’d been on a food known to be one of the "healthy" brands, no byproducts, and not preserved with BHA or BHT or any of the toxic chemicals.

But: it wasn’t anything like prey. Which is what he was waiting for. And when he got it, boom, he headed for greener pastures.

I still saw room to help him, and started homeopathic medicine, as he still had some symptoms, and I expect he’ll get well again.

But what a lesson.

Texas Ray: “Feed me real food. I’ll do (most of) the rest.”

Tell ‘em, Tex.