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-   -   What should I do when my cat does this? (http://www.catbanter.com/showthread.php?t=80513)

Garret Swayne June 1st 07 03:14 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming thing like
they're trying to clear something from their throat (a hairball or
something??) I don't know what to call it. It's very rhythmic, and it
appears to be involuntary, like they're choking on something and they're
trying to expel it. Every cat I've ever had goes through this from time to
time. They're obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking
maybe I should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd love to know
what's going on and what I can do about it, but it never occurred to me
until now to go online to a cat interest group and ask!
So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that spasming is called, what causes
it, and what we humans can do to help our little furry friends get over
their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com



Ivor Jones June 1st 07 04:00 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
hlink.net
You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory
spasming thing like they're trying to clear something
from their throat (a hairball or something??) I don't
know what to call it. It's very rhythmic, and it appears
to be involuntary, like they're choking on something and
they're trying to expel it. Every cat I've ever had goes
through this from time to time. They're obviously in
distress. I want to help and I'm thinking maybe I should
slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt.


No..! Don't do that..! See below.

I'd love to know what's going on and what I can do about
it, but it never occurred to me until now to go online to
a cat interest group and ask! So I'm asking. Does anyone know what
that spasming is
called, what causes it, and what we humans can do to help
our little furry friends get over their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com


They're almost certainly doing exactly what you suggest, i.e. trying to
cough up a furball. It's more common obviously in longhaired cats (you
don't say if yours is a longhair) but all cats will do it from time to
time.

Does it happen very frequently, or is it a once in a while thing..? If
you're really concerned, then see your vet, but I doubt it's anything
serious from what you describe.


Ivor



.._.. June 1st 07 04:49 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
hlink.net...
You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming thing like
they're trying to clear something from their throat (a hairball or
something??) I don't know what to call it. It's very rhythmic, and it
appears to be involuntary, like they're choking on something and they're
trying to expel it. Every cat I've ever had goes through this from time
to time. They're obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking
maybe I should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd love to
know what's going on and what I can do about it, but it never occurred to
me until now to go online to a cat interest group and ask!
So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that spasming is called, what causes
it, and what we humans can do to help our little furry friends get over
their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com


It's a hairball.

Do nothing at the time (maybe get a magazine to catch what they hack up.)

Hairballs come from the gut, not the lungs so your cat is not in danger of
choking. It is probably uncomfortable (vomiting usually is) but you can't
do anything to help.

Over the long term, brush or comb your cat so less fur gets in them. If you
use dry food, consider adding a bit of wet, or using one of the "reduced
hairball" formula foods. (The Purina one does wonders for my little
hairball generators... went from 4 piles a week to 1 pile a month with four
cats.)



Claude V. Lucas June 1st 07 06:15 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
In article ,
..._.. wrote:

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
thlink.net...
You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming thing like
they're trying to clear something from their throat (a hairball or
something??) I don't know what to call it. It's very rhythmic, and it
appears to be involuntary, like they're choking on something and they're
trying to expel it. Every cat I've ever had goes through this from time
to time. They're obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking
maybe I should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd love to
know what's going on and what I can do about it, but it never occurred to
me until now to go online to a cat interest group and ask!
So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that spasming is called, what causes
it, and what we humans can do to help our little furry friends get over
their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com


It's a hairball.

Do nothing at the time (maybe get a magazine to catch what they hack up.)

Hairballs come from the gut, not the lungs so your cat is not in danger of
choking. It is probably uncomfortable (vomiting usually is) but you can't
do anything to help.

Over the long term, brush or comb your cat so less fur gets in them. If you
use dry food, consider adding a bit of wet, or using one of the "reduced
hairball" formula foods. (The Purina one does wonders for my little
hairball generators... went from 4 piles a week to 1 pile a month with four
cats.)



Brush the kitty frequently enough to remove shedding hair, as others
have mentioned.

Also there is something called "Petromalt" that will help kitty
pass the hairballs. it is available at your friendly local
pet labyrinth and seems to be tasty enough that kitty will
eat it off your finger... Bubba likes it. Of course he'll eat
most anything... Anyway, it seems to help.

Kendra Weissbein June 2nd 07 06:24 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
On Jun 1, 7:14 am, "Garret Swayne" wrote:

I want to help and I'm thinking
maybe I should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there,


Slap them? I would rather pistol whip them.



[email protected] June 3rd 07 04:24 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
In article ,
(Claude V. Lucas) wrote:

there is something called "Petromalt" that will help kitty
pass the hairballs. it is available at your friendly local
pet labyrinth and seems to be tasty enough that kitty will
eat it off your finger... Bubba likes it. Of course he'll eat
most anything... Anyway, it seems to help.


I vote for Petromalt, too. It is amazing how well the product helps
solve this problem (I think it allows the cat's system to collect and
pass the otherwise indigestible hair swallowed while grooming ). AFAICT,
Petromalt is essentially meat-flavored petroleum jelly, so it is
completely inert and non-toxic in the amounts a cat would ingest.

Garret Swayne June 7th 07 06:37 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
Wow, thanks Cheryl for sending the video link! After watching it, I believe
that's exactly what my Zacky is doing. I think he has asthma. He doesn't
get these fits often, but every now and then. I should take him to a vet to
have him checked out. Thanks again...
-Garret


"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
On Fri 01 Jun 2007 10:14:12a, Garret Swayne wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
thlink.net:

You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming
thing like they're trying to clear something from their throat
(a hairball or something??) I don't know what to call it. It's
very rhythmic, and it appears to be involuntary, like they're
choking on something and they're trying to expel it. Every cat
I've ever had goes through this from time to time. They're
obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking maybe I
should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd
love to know what's going on and what I can do about it, but it
never occurred to me until now to go online to a cat interest
group and ask! So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that
spasming is called, what causes it, and what we humans can do to
help our little furry friends get over their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com




Garret, this can be an asthma attack. Please have your cat seen by
the vet. Here's a video of an asthma attack and while it looks
like a cat horking up a hairball, watch the neck sticking out as if
trying to straighten the windpipe to get air to breathe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG5vBaT21_c


--
Cheryl





vjc June 8th 07 03:05 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
nk.net...
Wow, thanks Cheryl for sending the video link! After watching it, I
believe that's exactly what my Zacky is doing. I think he has asthma. He
doesn't get these fits often, but every now and then. I should take him
to a vet to have him checked out. Thanks again...
-Garret


"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
On Fri 01 Jun 2007 10:14:12a, Garret Swayne wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
thlink.net:

You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming
thing like they're trying to clear something from their throat
(a hairball or something??) I don't know what to call it. It's
very rhythmic, and it appears to be involuntary, like they're
choking on something and they're trying to expel it. Every cat
I've ever had goes through this from time to time. They're
obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking maybe I
should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd
love to know what's going on and what I can do about it, but it
never occurred to me until now to go online to a cat interest
group and ask! So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that
spasming is called, what causes it, and what we humans can do to
help our little furry friends get over their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com




Garret, this can be an asthma attack. Please have your cat seen by
the vet. Here's a video of an asthma attack and while it looks
like a cat horking up a hairball, watch the neck sticking out as if
trying to straighten the windpipe to get air to breathe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG5vBaT21_c


--
Cheryl


Hi:


My cat does the same thing. She gets shot of Depo/methylprednisolone about
every three months. The vet says it's an allergy.

vince




Tom+Gracie+Jenny June 9th 07 03:08 PM

What should I do when my cat does this?
 
On Jun 7, 12:37 pm, "Garret Swayne" wrote:
Wow, thanks Cheryl for sending the video link! After watching it, I believe
that's exactly what my Zacky is doing. I think he has asthma. He doesn't
get these fits often, but every now and then. I should take him to a vet to
have him checked out. Thanks again...
-Garret

"Cheryl" wrote in message

...

On Fri 01 Jun 2007 10:14:12a, Garret Swayne wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
thlink.net:


You know how sometimes cats get into a respiratory spasming
thing like they're trying to clear something from their throat
(a hairball or something??) I don't know what to call it. It's
very rhythmic, and it appears to be involuntary, like they're
choking on something and they're trying to expel it. Every cat
I've ever had goes through this from time to time. They're
obviously in distress. I want to help and I'm thinking maybe I
should slap them on the back to help "dislodge" anything that's
stuck there, but I don't know if that would help or hurt. I'd
love to know what's going on and what I can do about it, but it
never occurred to me until now to go online to a cat interest
group and ask! So I'm asking. Does anyone know what that
spasming is called, what causes it, and what we humans can do to
help our little furry friends get over their episode?
-Garret Swayne
garret at garretswayne dot com


Garret, this can be an asthma attack. Please have your cat seen by
the vet. Here's a video of an asthma attack and while it looks
like a cat horking up a hairball, watch the neck sticking out as if
trying to straighten the windpipe to get air to breathe.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG5vBaT21_c


--
Cheryl


I learned a lot from this other video. (It sounds like it was written
by some
drug company, and of course it's off the net, but still..) What the
narration said made sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkebV2tv_cs

tom tac



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