I'm sorry to hear about your horrible cramps. I guess chamomile amd catnip tea probably won't work, huh? That's what I used, alternating with Celectial Seasons Tension Tamer when I had cramps. I never liked the idea of an IUD or any plastic stuck "up there" and avoided it like the plague.

Your Vlad remind me of my two little Burmese/Tabby kitties, Bast and Palu. They were sisters and littermates, never seperated until Palu died in 2004. Bast joined her in 2006. I miss them terribly. They do make wonderful heating pads though. What breed is your Vlad?