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#1
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
So here's the story...my friend recently moved to England and didn't want to
take his cat because of the 6 month quarantine laws. He thought it unfair for the cat. I offered to take her, and he was grateful knowing she would be well cared for. She has always been a nervous and scared cat, hiding whenever I would go over, and I don't really know much of her history. The first day she spent mostly under my bed, and the first few nights were a little sleepless what with her pretty constant crying and all. She started to come around through, and grew to accept me, and we became close, of course. Yet, there are still some strange things she does that I don't quite understand, and make me concerned. When she first came I had to change both her food and her litter, as I couldn't find the same kind of either!!! But I did both gradually, and it seemed to go fine. I've had her for almost 2 months now. I work fulltime and am out of the house from 6am until about 5-5:30pm. I keep her fed and watered and scoop her box regularly and I try and spend as much time with her when I get home as I can as she seems to need the affection. About 2 weeks ago I realized she has peed on my spare bed multiple times. So I washed everything, fine. But just this past Friday, she peed on my bed, the one she sleeps in with me! I really couldn't understand it. I don't know when she would have done it either. She's become used to my hours and I was a little late coming home from work, but the spot was dry when I found it. Thursday or Friday morning, she also pooped right beside her litter box, on the floor. She's also recently become re-afraid of my mom, and even runs from me sometimes. She has remained VERY vocal, using sounds that make me think she needs/wants something, meowing throughout the night, and generally in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. She doesn't seem to want to play as much as before, although she never really was a big "player". I find that she eats the majority of her food at night, and if she goes to during the day, sometimes she stares at it first, or stares and then walks away. I took her to the vet a week or so ago, but not for these problems. The skin inside her ears looks to be very dry, and it must bother her because she scratches them a lot. It gets to the point where little scabs form. The vet suggested it might be allergies, and so gave me some pills. Well cats and pills don't go well together, and I've tried EVERYTHING that I could think of, but I don't want to stress her out too much because she apparently has a heart murmur. She doesn't like being picked up, having her ears or back paws touched but she does love having her gums rubbed and her bum and belly scratched. I know this is a long, LONG message, but I wanted to put out as much background information as I could, so I could get the best advise possible. She has very quickly stolen my heart and I hate to think that I'm doing something to cause this behaviour or that I'm not doing something to make it better. Please give me any help you can. Thank you in advance, Sarah |
#2
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
She sounds like she has a urinary tract infection. Please take her back to
the vet to have her checked for one. Many pills can be crushed and mixed in the cat's canned food. Gail "sjcoles" u27630@uwe wrote in message news:676ea2dbe2aaa@uwe... So here's the story...my friend recently moved to England and didn't want to take his cat because of the 6 month quarantine laws. He thought it unfair for the cat. I offered to take her, and he was grateful knowing she would be well cared for. She has always been a nervous and scared cat, hiding whenever I would go over, and I don't really know much of her history. The first day she spent mostly under my bed, and the first few nights were a little sleepless what with her pretty constant crying and all. She started to come around through, and grew to accept me, and we became close, of course. Yet, there are still some strange things she does that I don't quite understand, and make me concerned. When she first came I had to change both her food and her litter, as I couldn't find the same kind of either!!! But I did both gradually, and it seemed to go fine. I've had her for almost 2 months now. I work fulltime and am out of the house from 6am until about 5-5:30pm. I keep her fed and watered and scoop her box regularly and I try and spend as much time with her when I get home as I can as she seems to need the affection. About 2 weeks ago I realized she has peed on my spare bed multiple times. So I washed everything, fine. But just this past Friday, she peed on my bed, the one she sleeps in with me! I really couldn't understand it. I don't know when she would have done it either. She's become used to my hours and I was a little late coming home from work, but the spot was dry when I found it. Thursday or Friday morning, she also pooped right beside her litter box, on the floor. She's also recently become re-afraid of my mom, and even runs from me sometimes. She has remained VERY vocal, using sounds that make me think she needs/wants something, meowing throughout the night, and generally in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. She doesn't seem to want to play as much as before, although she never really was a big "player". I find that she eats the majority of her food at night, and if she goes to during the day, sometimes she stares at it first, or stares and then walks away. I took her to the vet a week or so ago, but not for these problems. The skin inside her ears looks to be very dry, and it must bother her because she scratches them a lot. It gets to the point where little scabs form. The vet suggested it might be allergies, and so gave me some pills. Well cats and pills don't go well together, and I've tried EVERYTHING that I could think of, but I don't want to stress her out too much because she apparently has a heart murmur. She doesn't like being picked up, having her ears or back paws touched but she does love having her gums rubbed and her bum and belly scratched. I know this is a long, LONG message, but I wanted to put out as much background information as I could, so I could get the best advise possible. She has very quickly stolen my heart and I hate to think that I'm doing something to cause this behaviour or that I'm not doing something to make it better. Please give me any help you can. Thank you in advance, Sarah |
#3
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
If your friend moved to England/UK in the last 12 months, he was in-properly
informed. They did away with the 6 month quarrantine providing proof of vaccinations and a "pet visa" we obtained for the animal, not to mention a vet filling out mountains of forms stating that this is indeed a healthy animal (these forms are required in order to obtain the 'pet visa') Also, I agree with Gail - have the cat checked for any infection as well as a Urinary Tract Infection. In news:676ea2dbe2aaa@uwe, sjcoles purred: So here's the story...my friend recently moved to England and didn't want to take his cat because of the 6 month quarantine laws. He thought it unfair for the cat. I offered to take her, and he was grateful knowing she would be well cared for. She has always been a nervous and scared cat, hiding whenever I would go over, and I don't really know much of her history. The first day she spent mostly under my bed, and the first few nights were a little sleepless what with her pretty constant crying and all. She started to come around through, and grew to accept me, and we became close, of course. Yet, there are still some strange things she does that I don't quite understand, and make me concerned. When she first came I had to change both her food and her litter, as I couldn't find the same kind of either!!! But I did both gradually, and it seemed to go fine. I've had her for almost 2 months now. I work fulltime and am out of the house from 6am until about 5-5:30pm. I keep her fed and watered and scoop her box regularly and I try and spend as much time with her when I get home as I can as she seems to need the affection. About 2 weeks ago I realized she has peed on my spare bed multiple times. So I washed everything, fine. But just this past Friday, she peed on my bed, the one she sleeps in with me! I really couldn't understand it. I don't know when she would have done it either. She's become used to my hours and I was a little late coming home from work, but the spot was dry when I found it. Thursday or Friday morning, she also pooped right beside her litter box, on the floor. She's also recently become re-afraid of my mom, and even runs from me sometimes. She has remained VERY vocal, using sounds that make me think she needs/wants something, meowing throughout the night, and generally in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. She doesn't seem to want to play as much as before, although she never really was a big "player". I find that she eats the majority of her food at night, and if she goes to during the day, sometimes she stares at it first, or stares and then walks away. I took her to the vet a week or so ago, but not for these problems. The skin inside her ears looks to be very dry, and it must bother her because she scratches them a lot. It gets to the point where little scabs form. The vet suggested it might be allergies, and so gave me some pills. Well cats and pills don't go well together, and I've tried EVERYTHING that I could think of, but I don't want to stress her out too much because she apparently has a heart murmur. She doesn't like being picked up, having her ears or back paws touched but she does love having her gums rubbed and her bum and belly scratched. I know this is a long, LONG message, but I wanted to put out as much background information as I could, so I could get the best advise possible. She has very quickly stolen my heart and I hate to think that I'm doing something to cause this behaviour or that I'm not doing something to make it better. Please give me any help you can. Thank you in advance, Sarah |
#4
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
Hi Sarah,
I think too that she could have a urinary infection. Cats start peeing on softer things or in different areas when it hurts to pee. Our vet said that cats changing homes is one of the causes of urinary infections. It is because of the stress and also because they hold their pee longer when they're afraid to come out and use the litter box. As for the pills, one thing we've done is get a yummy treat, like meat baby food (make sure there are no onions in it,) and mix a smashed pill into. Many medicines come in liquid form and can be mixed in the food. We use a treat like baby food and don't give them too much so we are sure they will eat the entire thing. If all else fails, the vet might be able to recommend a pharmacy that compounds the medicine. We did that for one very stubborn cat who could tell if there was a drop of medicine in anything. The pharmacy mixed the antibiotic into a chicken gravy flavor and it worked! There are also things called "Pill Pockets" usually at PetCo or Pet Smart. They are soft treats with a hole in the middle to insert the pill. They are very expensive, something like $8 for a smallish bag, but they have worked a couple of times on our cats. After a few times though, the cats have caught on. Good luck, and it was nice of you to take in this cat. Rhonda sjcoles wrote: She's also recently become re-afraid of my mom, and even runs from me sometimes. She has remained VERY vocal, using sounds that make me think she needs/wants something, meowing throughout the night, and generally in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. She doesn't seem to want to play as much as before, although she never really was a big "player". I find that she eats the majority of her food at night, and if she goes to during the day, sometimes she stares at it first, or stares and then walks away. |
#5
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
A lot of people have suggested having the cat checked for a UTI
(urinary tract infection) and I don't disagree. However, if the cat does not have a UTI, it's not that unusual that a stressed or unhappy cat will start urinating on places it oughtnt, and beds are not uncommon targets. Our Charlie is a stressy kitty, and he started urinating on our bed the first time we went away for more than an overnight. In fact, after we got home, we were laying on the bed and he hopped up on the bed and tinkled away right in front of us. When we, with heavy hearts, banished him and his 'sister' Lucy from the bedroom (because nothing stopped it once he'd started), he took to urinating on the couches instead. Every trip to the vet and test showed *no* UTI. Of course, once they've urinated on something which is in any way porous - and especially something like a bed or couch - no amount of Nature's Miracle, Anti-Icky Poo, or flame throwers is going to completely remove the odor. Oh, *you* may not smell it, but *they* will, and it's license to continue going there. In our case we finally got rid of the couches (sigh), and the cats are still banned from the bedroom. Other than that, we all live in harmony. Anne --- Pets: http://www.PetBereavementGifts.com Nets: http://www.TheInternetPatrol.com Raw: http://www.AdventuresInRawFood.com Law: http://www.DearEsq.com Blog: http://www.MangeMerde.com |
#6
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
"She Devil" wrote in message oups.com... A lot of people have suggested having the cat checked for a UTI (urinary tract infection) and I don't disagree. However, if the cat does not have a UTI, it's not that unusual that a stressed or unhappy cat will start urinating on places it oughtnt, and beds are not uncommon targets. Our Charlie is a stressy kitty, and he started urinating on our bed the first time we went away for more than an overnight. In fact, after we got home, we were laying on the bed and he hopped up on the bed and tinkled away right in front of us. When we, with heavy hearts, banished him and his 'sister' Lucy from the bedroom (because nothing stopped it once he'd started), he took to urinating on the couches instead. Every trip to the vet and test showed *no* UTI. Of course, once they've urinated on something which is in any way porous - and especially something like a bed or couch - no amount of Nature's Miracle, Anti-Icky Poo, or flame throwers is going to completely remove the odor. Oh, *you* may not smell it, but *they* will, and it's license to continue going there. In our case we finally got rid of the couches (sigh), and the cats are still banned from the bedroom. Other than that, we all live in harmony. Quite true, as our Boo uses her bladder to, err, "express" herself as well, and has never had a UTI. She has to stay on the first floor, and still goes on the rug down there at times. The first time she peed inappropriately is when we were washing bedclothes and kept shooing her off the naked mattress. (She has black fur and sheds like mad.) She waited until we had the whole bed made up, fresh duvet cover, sheets, everything, and until my husband got INTO bed then peed on top of the duvet that was on top of him. First thing in the morning I hauled her in to the vet, howling all the way. No UTI. She was clearly just "p*ssed off" and expressing her displeasure. After that it was a certain corner in the living room whenever we displeased her, and, once, ON a plastic grocery bag full of canned cat food that lay on the kitchen floor waiting to be unpacked one evening when she decided we had not fed her soon enough. Again, we took her to the vet, and every time, no UTI. And, just like with Charlie, the only way to keep her from doing it again is to keep her out of the places where she peed. -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#7
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
thanks to everyone for their input. i do have a vet appointment tomorrow, and
after talking to a few people about this, some even suggested that there might also be some neurological or mental thing going on with her. I mean it is a lot easier for us to know if we're depressed, or anxious. it was also brought to my attention that she may have kidney problems. it's hard when there's so many possibilities and no way to know for sure! I'm just glad that i have a vet appointment tomorrow, so i can get some questions asked, and hopefully some answers. Thanks again everyone. cybercat wrote: A lot of people have suggested having the cat checked for a UTI (urinary tract infection) and I don't disagree. However, if the cat [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] still banned from the bedroom. Other than that, we all live in harmony. Quite true, as our Boo uses her bladder to, err, "express" herself as well, and has never had a UTI. She has to stay on the first floor, and still goes on the rug down there at times. The first time she peed inappropriately is when we were washing bedclothes and kept shooing her off the naked mattress. (She has black fur and sheds like mad.) She waited until we had the whole bed made up, fresh duvet cover, sheets, everything, and until my husband got INTO bed then peed on top of the duvet that was on top of him. First thing in the morning I hauled her in to the vet, howling all the way. No UTI. She was clearly just "p*ssed off" and expressing her displeasure. After that it was a certain corner in the living room whenever we displeased her, and, once, ON a plastic grocery bag full of canned cat food that lay on the kitchen floor waiting to be unpacked one evening when she decided we had not fed her soon enough. Again, we took her to the vet, and every time, no UTI. And, just like with Charlie, the only way to keep her from doing it again is to keep her out of the places where she peed. -- Message posted via http://www.catkb.com |
#8
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new cat owner, strange cat behaviour...HELP!!
We took in a cat who had a UTI, but then peed on the bed after he was
better. It might have been territorial since he was the new cat, or it could have been behavioral leftovers from his UTI. What we did though, was cover the bed each morning after we got up. We used a shower curtain liner -- a very cheap one. That was enough to break him of the habit. He never did it while we slept, only during the day, so that made it easier. I like having those kitties on the bed, especially now that the weather is getting chilly. While he had his UTI, he hit the couch once. I put some clear plastic over that for awhile but TG he didn't do that any more once he felt better. Rhonda She Devil wrote: Our Charlie is a stressy kitty, and he started urinating on our bed the first time we went away for more than an overnight. In fact, after we got home, we were laying on the bed and he hopped up on the bed and tinkled away right in front of us. When we, with heavy hearts, banished him and his 'sister' Lucy from the bedroom (because nothing stopped it once he'd started), he took to urinating on the couches instead. |
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