calliopes_pen | Cat People Out There?

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Cat People Out There?

Anybody that knows a lot about cats? I need your help. The cat seemed to get a little worse after yesterday. She doesn't meow much, and doesn't purr or trill at the moment. She's gotten sick at least one more time, too. It seems like she acts sleepy or something. She just isn't acting like her usual wild self.

Of course, she could also just be depressed and pining for my dad, since he's out of town for the rest of the day. She's obsessed with him, and doesn't like it whenever he is gone too long.

Does anyone know what this could be?

If she's still like this tomorrow, she's going to the vet. Four years ago she almost died from a virus, so we're not taking any chances.

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It does sound like she's depressed ... the throwing up could just be her acting out. It doesn't sound like it's too serious, but it certainly can't hurt to take her to the vet.

It could be that she misses your dad. Or it could be something else. How many times all together has she vomited? Is she vomitting all her food, or is it fur? Or is it watery? I know that's gross to ask, but one of my cats did that when I was really young (got listless, vomited all the time, wouldn't eat, etc) and it turned out to be a bowel obstruction (from fur) and she died.

So my advice is, if she isn't better by the end of the day, or if she vomits more, I'd have her checked out.

I hope nothing is wrong with her.

Twice. The first time I cleaned it up, she had just eaten tuna, so it was all of that. The second time was grass from the front yard.

She's a tiny bit better now. She started butting her forehead against mine gently. When she's really sick, she won't even do that.

Then it's probably that she misses your dad. One of my cats would do that if I was gone for any long period of time. Made working 12 hour shifts difficult :) So she lives with my parents now and has constant attention.

Sometimes cats just get a little something in them their tummies don't like. My cats frequently get rid of bugs and bad bigs of plants that way. Sometimes they just eat too much at one sitting. (If it was fur it would be a different problem--hairballs)

Cats who are very attached to their humans usually get lonely when they're away for long periods of time. When my cat lost her first owner she wouldn't come out from under the couch for anyone but eventually me. Heck, when I go out for chinese and come back she demands to know where I've been ;)

Sometimes that changes their behaviors, but usually they snap out of it. If any of her symptoms get worse take her to the vet. But I think she'll be fine.

I agree that your cat might just be acting out (Lord knows my Kira has done it often enough...), but it wouldn't hurt to get her to the vet.

unfortunately I cannot help you, on this.
I have a dog

things to check for always with a sick kitty:

1. is she urinating normally?
is she struggling in the litterbox - little grunts and stuff just to pee? is there just a dribble or a normal amount? is there blood? does she meow as she goes? if so go to the vet immediately.

2. is she defacating normally?
is her stool (sorry bout this) soft & runny or firm and... er... well-shaped or small and hard? you're hoping for firm and... well-shaped. soft & runny could indicate a parasite or other tummy trouble. small and hard could mean constipation and/or an obstruction. if there is blood in the stool is it mixed in with it or kinda... coating it? mixed in is bad. coating is not as bad, but still needs to be looked at.

3. when she vomits, it's pretty much undigested food, right? that means it comes back before it gets to her tummy, so there may be a blockage or she may just have a tummyache. if she vomits a white foam, that means her tummy is empty and she's still vomiting so something else is up. and if she horks up a big, gross, blob of gunk that you're pretty sure isn't food but looks kinda hairy? whew. just a hairball! a good description of the vomit is actually helpful for the vet - how often, how soon after eating, and what it looks like. gross, but really helpful in making a diagnosis.

4. check her temperature. if you've taken a cat's temp before go ahead if you dare. the rest of us can get a general idea of where the kitty stands temp-wise by feeling the kitty's ear near the base, on the inside. not so that it tickles but just kinda touch that area. if it feels hotter than you think it should go to the vet.

if it feels cold right there, definitely go to the vet immediately. back when my bro was married to the eesil, he asked me to look at her cat. the eesil had taken her to be spayed two days before and then left town, leaving my bro to look after the kitty. but she was really lethargic and listless. and when i felt her ears and nose, she was unusually cold. turns out, she'd gotten an infection from the surgery and had gone into shock. we had to rush her to a vet that night and she was intensive care for 3 days. i had never known before about the "cold" thing, but i was able to use that again to save a boyfriend's cat with a similar problem several years later.

***
now, after all that, here's my take on your specific situation along with a couple guesses.

tuna is actually very rich and cats shouldn't eat large quantities of it. it can actually lead to some urinary tract infections if fed to a cat regularly. and a big helping of it might give a cat a stomachache. kinda like if you pigged out on a lot of junk food. which could be all that's wrong.

f.y.i - make sure that you feed the kitty plenty of actual cat food. tuna alone doesn't meet a cat's nutritional requirements. i'm sure you know that. i'm just covering all the bases.

and here's a thought: i found out not so long ago that my isis has food allergies. we're thinking she's allergic to seafood. ever since the vet put her on the special cat food, her health problems have cleared right up.

but then, little vincent displayed similar symptoms to your kitty. the vet wasn't able to find anything wrong with him but they agreed that he definitely had a tummy ache. after it happened enough times, i started giving him the same food as isah. and he's been fine too.

so maybe no more tuna for your kitty.

still, take your cat to the vet for a real expert's exam & opinion. i only speak as a busybody who has dealt with mysterious ailments in my kitties for way too long. she could just be working out a hairball. still... it's a good idea to check. better safe than sorry has saved my (and other) cat's lives numerous times.

Wow. Thanks for the information, irfikos. :) She never eats very much tuna, just part of the can. One can usually lasts two days with her.

She is using the bathroom both ways normally. So far, the vomit hasn't been foamy or anything like that.

White Cloud, the first cat I had many years ago, once had a urinary tract infection. She went to the bathroom all over the garage. That was how we knew something was wrong. This cat, though, hasn't done that.

To take her to the vet, she has to be put into a carrier. I'm not doing that because she attacks anyone who tries to put her in one. I'm waiting until dad gets home this evening, then he can try.

I'm going to check the temperature of her ears right now.

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