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"Real Cats, Real Stories" from Purina Cat Chow
Cat Advice (Emotional): Purina® Cat Chow® Mentor Amy Shojai
published
Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT
| I have a seventeen-year-old cat that for four years lived around two cats that domineered her life. We moved and she is now on her own. She constantly meows at night and sometimes she howls. I know she is trying to tell me something but I cannot figure it out. I thought she would be happy being by herself and not having constantly run to for her life. What is she trying to tell me? |
The veterinarian should examine a cat this age that constantly meows or howls. A couple of different things may be going on. All cats lose some portion of their hearing as they age, and deafness may prompt the cat to howl when she can’t hear as well. Also, older cats may be prone to kidney or heart ailments, which may also exhibit high blood pressure as a result--and for some reason, high blood pressure (hypertension) often prompts yowling. Finally, a percentage of very old cats develop cognitive disorders, sort of a kitty senility that makes them feel confused. That, too, may result in more meowing. If she had any sort of hearing or eyesight impairment, you may not have noticed it at the old place because she memorized the lay of the land. But in this new environment, things seem strange to her so she’s distressed and calling for help. If the excess vocalization is due to a health issue, there may be medications that can help relieve her discomfort. |
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| My husband and I are at wits end with concern. This last summer we adopted a beautiful white longhaired kitten--she was loving, fun, playful and filled with character. Two and a half months ago we had her declawed (all four paws--as she is STRICTLY an indoor cat) and spayed. They did both procedures at the same time so as not to put her through too much trauma. We also had her declawed with this new laser technique because they said it was less stressful and less painful for her. When we picked her up from the vets after a two-day stay she has never been the same cat again! She hides, never plays, seems like she is afraid of everything. She used to sleep with us, doesn't seem to eat as much or as well as she used to, her tail never is straight up and happy, etc. I took her back to the vet and they did tests on her to make sure she had no infections--tested again for feline leukemia--everything was fine. As fun, cute and loving and sassy as she was before, this is how down she is now and it is breaking our hearts. I even tried catnip to see if that would perk her up--nothing. Help! What should we do?? |
While some cats never miss a beat after a declaw surgery, others end up with behavior changes like your kitten. I am not a fan of this procedure because there are other less traumatic alternatives (claw training, claw covers, etc), and because some cats develop personality changes, resort to biting instead of clawing, or refuse the litter box due to sore paws, etc. I hope you’ll keep your veterinarian informed of your pet’s progress so s/he can mention this potential outcome to other cat owners. Even if 99 cats are fine but your cat suffers, your cat is 100 percent affected. Unfortunately there’s no way to predict if a given cat will bounce back without a problem or show behavior problems. Declaw surgery should NEVER be considered routine, and all alternatives considered before resorting to this invasive procedure. Ask pointed questions of the veterinarian particularly about pain control during and after the surgery. While laser procedures ARE less painful and traumatic than older methods that simply amputate the last joint of each toe, lasers burn away the tissue and so take longer to heal. It takes longer for these cats to recover. I don’t know the details of how lasers affect the nerve endings in the tissue that’s left, but perhaps residual discomfort impacts your kitten’s behavior. The timing of spay and/or declaw surgery and the corresponding age of the kitten also influences how well they recover. It seems that often these surgical procedures happen at just the time when a baby cat begins to transition from its happy-go-lucky kitten personality into a more cautious adolescent/adult stage. A traumatic experience, such as spay or other surgery during this period can make an indelible impression. Also, if a kitten or cat has an underlying/hidden health challenge, the stress of hospitalization and surgery may trigger a physical problem. Continue to monitor this with your vet. In the meantime, continue doing what you’re doing. Be patient. If your cat is quite young she may yet bounce back and regain some of her former personality. Encourage her to regain confidence with interactive games such as flashlight tag or chase-the-fishing-pole toy. Some cats won’t react to catnip at all and others learn to love it as adults. Your kitten needs to learn to trust again. With love and understanding you can once again be close companions. Please remember that sometimes we make choices at one point in our lives that teach us difficult lessons. If we’re lucky, those hard lessons help us in the future. I am so very sorry you and your special cat must go through this but what’s done is done. Let go the past, and move into the future with this special kitty. |
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| I want an affectionate loving one-person shorthaired mouser. What breed is good for hunting mice? |
| Cats inherit as well as learn “mousing” ability and there’s no way to predict this trait. Neither can you predict if a cat will be a one-person feline or a lover of everyone. I’d suggest you contact a cat rescue operation, talk with the volunteers, and adopt a shorthair adult barn cat rescue. Spending quality time with your new feline friend helps forge a bond between you that can turn into a love affair. Good luck! |
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| I adopted a pregnant "Lilith" about three years ago. I kept one kitten from her litter. When my husband and I were married a year ago, two more kitties became part of the family...and then a stray came around and stayed for good. We live in the country and all five cats are indoor/outdoor. They have all been spayed or neutered and get along just fine except for Lilith. If she is inside the house by herself, she is a very sweet and loving companion. If any of the others come around, she begins pacing around the perimeter of our house, growling and hissing whenever she comes near the other cats. They seem to just ignore her, but she is obviously very stressed and almost neurotic. Is this aggression a form of jealousy? We try to give Lilith special "alone time" in the house. Is there anything else we should be doing? |
I can’t say exactly what emotion (jealousy?) that Lilith feels when other cats are near. Felines communicate with very subtle body language and even scents and possibly sounds we cannot detect. So while Lilith obviously reacts to the other cats’ presence, you may be missing the signals or “cat curses” they’re sending her way! Growling and hissing basically serve to increase distance between cats. Lilith appears to feel threatened by their proximity and feel safest when alone. You may be able to help with her feelings of confidence by providing some more second-story property such as cat trees, or hiding places like cat tunnels or boxes, so she can stay out of reach/sight and feel less vulnerable. |
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