ozzieeagle

There is something bizarrely wrong with our cat. We've owned a few in our time. I guess its Vet time, but before we go to that expense and time out, I'm hoping someone on here can give some advice.

Our 7 YO is acting in a similar way to a cat that is about to die. Going off on his own, trying to find a quiet corner, meowing like crazy when we bring him in and again, running out to the back shed and hardly drinking or eating. We've forced him to come in now, and he has taken up residence in our toilet behind the cistern. He is eating a small amount of food but hardly drinking at all. He seems alert, though very listless, the only time he shows any real energy is when he wants to get back to his corner. He actually still purrs when we pick him up.

It's like he has gone senile, very very strange, I could understand it if he was 10 or over but not at 7. He hasnt lost a lot of weight. My suspicion is something has scared the crap out of him or had been poisoned. He has been like this for about 15 days now.



Anyone had a middle aged cat, that was formally healthy act like this before. I dont think it's the heat because he was doing this before the heat was on.

Vets scheduled on Saturday, if he doesnt get better. Any Ideas ?

Whoops should be in the Barbie, can mod move please....

moneypenny20

We had a cat that did that. Turned out he had a nasty kidney infection and he'd stopped drinking because of the pain of trying to pee. The terrified thing may be the reason but I would have thought he would have wanted to stay inside and hide under the bed or somewhere rather than wanting to be outside albeit in a safe place.

Get him to the vet and hope he's fit and well and happy again soon

This is the only time I've not had at least one cat in my life and I do miss them but can't free my mind of the dangers on our property to a cat and am not a lover of the idea of 'indoor' cats - they need freedom.

viviennef

just pm you

Vivienne

Ryem78

Ah shame he doesn't sound well! I'd get him to the vet as quickly as possible - especially if he's not drinking and there's a heatwave on! Sounds like he could get very dehydrated.

Please let us know how he gets on?

squeezzii

nothing particularly helpful to add but I would get my cat to the vet asap for your cat to behave like that sounds like there's something definatley wrong - please let us know Oz

ozzieeagle

Thanks for the advice all, will do.

I'd say my wife will take him to the Vets today.

bigAPE

Sounds like classic cat behaviour when they are unwell. I have seen it many times. I'm sure the Vets will sort them out.

Hope the little one is fine again soon.

Daydreamer123

Sounds similar to our cat who gets urinary tract infection, it totally blocks up with some sort of crystals so he can't urinate, which quite dangerous. If I was you I would take him to the vets today, as our vet told us its quite a common cause of death in male cats. Basically it all builds up and either they die from a secondary infection or from the bladder actually bursting.Apart from anything else, can you imagine the pain of not being able to go to the toilet and not being able to tell anyone. They will drain his bladder and give him some antibiotics. Our cat had it twice, caused by food, he is now on a special diet. We asked what could be done if it happens again and the vet told us in extreme cases and in the old days, they used to cut the you know what right off, since then our little man has been good about drinking plenty of water and hasnt had another case - dont know if its the food or the vets warning

Kooky.

Today is good - 15 days is a long time for him to be this unwell or spooked.

I'm keeping an eye on my elder boy as he's acting a bit listless at the moment too. He hasn't totally been his lively self since he got attacked a couple of months ago (when he needed an op and drains putting in), although he has his mad moments bouncing around the garden with the younger boycat and he does eat well.

(I'm also inspecting all of them daily for ticks, now I know they are present in North Sydney.)

Deutschmaster

The cat's only 7. I'd be surprised if it were about to drop dead.

Another thing which it might have - toothache! One of my parent's cats had to have its fangs removed.

Daydreamer123

My cat is less than that, and had exactly the same symptoms, when we called the vet, they told us to take him in immediately, the vet actually stopped treating another animal to see ours. That is how serious it is for them, age has absolutely nothing to do with it. Imagine a little thing who weighs only a few kilos with a bladder the size of a tennis ball. If it was you that would work out as something like a watermelon sized bladder, now imagine a doctor telling you that wasnt serious!

It could be anything including a simple tootheache or lifethreatening illness 15 days is a long time to not drink anything, thats why its important to take them to the vet if something is wrong, they cant tell you.

koalakim

Hi

Sorry to hear your cat is unwell but hopefully he will be at the vets by now. I could always tell when there was something wrong with ours and they'd be whipped off asap - just had to bite the bullet with the costs.

Our girl cat had crystals - she wasn't off colour but just kept squatting in the litter tray and producing a dribble. Once on the special food (and no ordinary cat biscuits thereafter) she was fine until the kidneys started going.

A friend at work his boy cat got them (can happen at any time) and as others have said it's much more dangerous for chaps as their tubes are smaller and are more easily blocked.

Trouble is with anything like this there are varying degrees - so could be a slow forming problem or a crisis as in complete kidney failure. Sounds like it is something slow forming as he wouldn't have gone on for so long.

Is he seeing and hearing okay? Our girl cat used to stick her head in corners and do a few weird things but that was on the run up to her kidneys going but she was 18 at the time.

Anyway, hopefully the vet will get him on the mend. It's horrible when they are sick and they can't tell you how they are feeling.

Hope he is better soon.

KK

Deutschmaster

It was the vet who told us that it was toothache and did the dental extraction.

ozzieeagle

Turns out he has advanced FeLV.... He could last for a couple more years according to the vet. He is back to being a 100 pct indoor cat again. We've taken him of his 100pct Hills diet and given him treats like chicken and fish, which has cheered him up.

He still like the Bathroom as his hangout, we've taken out a bottom draw and let him hide away in that for now.

Hopefully feeding him up on his favorite foods will improve his demeanor. He is eating and drinking well again now.

moneypenny20

Not good news but not bad either. Hope you have him with you for as long as possible.