Question about Eye shifting and Hiding behaviors in new adoptee

Hi,
I adopted a lovely 5 yr old DLH with claws, from the SPCA last week, who was dumped by her original family because she didn't get along with the dog. Also in the family were 2 other cats and several children 10-14....................sounds like an active family where she received a lot of rough play and treatment.

My question to the news group is............
She has some sort of a nervous condition (developed 6 months ago, according to her former vet) in which her eyes shift from side to side, almost constantly. My vet said it is called "nystagmus" and can be caused by a wide variety of things ..............including B vitamin shortage, brain tumor, inner ear defect, etc. He could not find anything wrong with her other than that and recommended that we wait and watch for other symptoms before putting her through a battery of neurological testing. Does anyone have any experience about this condition in cats?

This little sweetie is grieving and tends to spend most of her time HIDING behind the sofa (she's quarantined there for the next few weeks until she and my resident kitty (declawed female) get better acquainted though the closed door).....When she does come out to interact with humans and be petted, she will often turn around and deliver an occasional love bite when you stop. VERY skittish and distrusting about being picked up or put in a carrier, after her 1 wk stay at the pound. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of Hiding behavior? Any tips will be appreciated.
Thanks,
RW

My vet said it is called "nystagmus" and can be =
caused by a wide variety of things ..............including B vitamin =
shortage, brain tumor, inner ear defect, etc

I generally see this with head injury patients. It's usually temporary but I've
seen it last longer. Hopefully no one smacked the kitty. If he thinks it's a
vitamin deficiency, I'd most certainly give cat vitamins.

This little sweetie is grieving and tends to spend most of her time =
HIDING behind the sofa

Sounds like she has a bit of a rough past. I'd just let her hide and give her
plenty of space. Don't pick her up or approach her. Let her come to you when
she's ready. You could play with a cat toy and she may join in with you. I had
to do that with a cat I adopted that was beaten all the time. In a few months
he came around and was a sweetheart. He just needed to feel secure that I
wouldn't harm him.

My vet said it is called "nystagmus" and can be =
caused by a wide variety of things ..............including B vitamin =
shortage, brain tumor, inner ear defect, etc

I generally see this with head injury patients. It's usually temporary but I've
seen it last longer. Hopefully no one smacked the kitty. If he thinks it's a
vitamin deficiency, I'd most certainly give cat vitamins.

This little sweetie is grieving and tends to spend most of her time =
HIDING behind the sofa

Sounds like she has a bit of a rough past. I'd just let her hide and give her
plenty of space. Don't pick her up or approach her. Let her come to you when
she's ready. You could play with a cat toy and she may join in with you. I had
to do that with a cat I adopted that was beaten all the time. In a few months
he came around and was a sweetheart. He just needed to feel secure that I
wouldn't harm him.

In article ,
enlightened us with...


My question to the news group is............
She has some sort of a nervous condition (developed 6 months ago,
according to her former vet) in which her eyes shift from side to side,
almost constantly.

I can't help much on this one.

This little sweetie is grieving and tends to spend most of her time HIDING behind the sofa
(she's quarantined there for the next few weeks until she and my resident kitty
(declawed female) get better acquainted though the closed door).....

My feral rescue spent weeks hiding in the bathroom and more weeks
learning to trust me enough to let me really handle her. She's a huge
love, now. When I first brought her home, she was afraid of the
television.

When she does come out to interact with humans and be petted, she will often turn around
and deliver an occasional love bite when you stop.

My Isis (the feral rescue mentioned above) does this. She just gets so
excited about the attention that she *very* gently nips you if you stop
petting her when she's really enjoying it. Actually, sometimes she does
it while you're petting her, too. It's very gentle, like she just
presses her mouth against you without really opening it. Almost like a
human kiss. I find it endearing.

VERY skittish and distrusting about being picked up or put in a carrier,
after her 1 wk stay at the pound. Does anyone have any experience with this
kind of Hiding behavior? Any tips will be appreciated.

Give her time.
As she learns to trust you, and her environment, she'll come out more.
Just let her keep coming to you and don't try to force anything (like
removing her couch or hiding spot where she feels safe). Don't try to
pick her up or put her in a carrier if you don't have to (vet trip). In
time, she'll learn to accept, possibly even enjoy, being picked up, but
that's probably a few months to even years in the future. Some cats
never really *like* being picked up (they tolerate it, but don't much
like it). It really requires such a huge amount of trust on the cat's
part. A cat might love you to pieces and still not trust you enough to
allow such handling if they've been hurt in the past.
When you're ready to try to accustom her to being picked up, which I
don't recommend you do until she's totally settled in and lets you
handle her whole body on the ground, start by picking her up while
you're still seated and move from there. Sit on the ground and just lift
her front off the floor towards your chest, as though you were going to
pick her up, but stop there and pet her and let her go. Praise and
treats. When she accepts this with no problems, pick her up off the
floor, you still seated on the floor, and cradle her in your arms. If
she allows it, just do that a couple times a day for a very short time
and let her down (praise and treats). Only when she's totally
comfortable with you holding her on the ground for a minute or so should
you move towards picking her up while you're standing.

Good for you for adopting this kitty.

--
--
~kaeli~
If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day
and a half, how long would it take for a monkey with a
wooden leg to kick the dill seeds out of a pickle?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...


My question to the news group is............
She has some sort of a nervous condition (developed 6 months ago,
according to her former vet) in which her eyes shift from side to side,
almost constantly.

I can't help much on this one.

This little sweetie is grieving and tends to spend most of her time HIDING behind the sofa
(she's quarantined there for the next few weeks until she and my resident kitty
(declawed female) get better acquainted though the closed door).....

My feral rescue spent weeks hiding in the bathroom and more weeks
learning to trust me enough to let me really handle her. She's a huge
love, now. When I first brought her home, she was afraid of the
television.

When she does come out to interact with humans and be petted, she will often turn around
and deliver an occasional love bite when you stop.

My Isis (the feral rescue mentioned above) does this. She just gets so
excited about the attention that she *very* gently nips you if you stop
petting her when she's really enjoying it. Actually, sometimes she does
it while you're petting her, too. It's very gentle, like she just
presses her mouth against you without really opening it. Almost like a
human kiss. I find it endearing.

VERY skittish and distrusting about being picked up or put in a carrier,
after her 1 wk stay at the pound. Does anyone have any experience with this
kind of Hiding behavior? Any tips will be appreciated.

Give her time.
As she learns to trust you, and her environment, she'll come out more.
Just let her keep coming to you and don't try to force anything (like
removing her couch or hiding spot where she feels safe). Don't try to
pick her up or put her in a carrier if you don't have to (vet trip). In
time, she'll learn to accept, possibly even enjoy, being picked up, but
that's probably a few months to even years in the future. Some cats
never really *like* being picked up (they tolerate it, but don't much
like it). It really requires such a huge amount of trust on the cat's
part. A cat might love you to pieces and still not trust you enough to
allow such handling if they've been hurt in the past.
When you're ready to try to accustom her to being picked up, which I
don't recommend you do until she's totally settled in and lets you
handle her whole body on the ground, start by picking her up while
you're still seated and move from there. Sit on the ground and just lift
her front off the floor towards your chest, as though you were going to
pick her up, but stop there and pet her and let her go. Praise and
treats. When she accepts this with no problems, pick her up off the
floor, you still seated on the floor, and cradle her in your arms. If
she allows it, just do that a couple times a day for a very short time
and let her down (praise and treats). Only when she's totally
comfortable with you holding her on the ground for a minute or so should
you move towards picking her up while you're standing.

Good for you for adopting this kitty.

--
--
~kaeli~
If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day
and a half, how long would it take for a monkey with a
wooden leg to kick the dill seeds out of a pickle?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

Patience is the key. A little babyfood on a plastic spoon never hurts,
either. Food is love, when you are a cat. And love is trust.

The eye problem may be breed-related, if she is Persian, but work closely
with your vet and report any change. And go for the vitamins, if they
will do no harm. Good luck with her; she is one lucky cat.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

Patience is the key. A little babyfood on a plastic spoon never hurts,
either. Food is love, when you are a cat. And love is trust.

The eye problem may be breed-related, if she is Persian, but work closely
with your vet and report any change. And go for the vitamins, if they
will do no harm. Good luck with her; she is one lucky cat.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats