6 month old female kitten is acting strange

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #21

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
Glad to know that Kitty is doing better! :)

Tapeworms do explain some or all of the symptoms that you described so I think your vet's diagnosis is on the mark.
(Not saying that your vet was wrong. Just the opposite... what your vet said lines up with observed facts. More like saying, "Aha! That's it!")

Making sure that your cat gets the medicine she needs is important, right now. I'm sure you know that. Just being supportive, here. :)

One thing to note... Tapeworms are transmissible from pet to pet AND from pets to humans.
Since you have one or more dogs and... I don't know... do you still have other cats? You need to be on guard against other animals getting tapeworms, too.

Tapeworms can be transmitted by eating an infected animal like a mouse or a rabbit. They can be transmitted from fleas and, rarely, through fecal contact. These are the things you should be on the lookout for.

It's possible that your cat caught a mouse or something and got worms when she ate it. She was an outdoor cat and it's reasonable to think that is how she got them.

Fleas can also be an intermediate host (carrier) of tapeworms. If an animal has worms and a flea bites the animal, the fleas can carry the tapeworm eggs to another animal. What can happen is that one animal gets worms, passes it (through fleas) to another then, even if the first animal gets cured, the first one can get worms again because of the second.

This exact scenario happened when I was a kid. My father used to breed hunting dogs. One of the dogs got worms and Dad got the dog de-wormed from the vet. Then, other dogs started getting worms. Dad got them cured but not before the first one got them again.
Dad had to call the vet to come out and de-worm ALL FIVE of the dogs at the same time.
(This was back in the days when vets an doctors still made house calls. Besides, how the heck is somebody supposed to pack up that many dogs and take them all to the vet? ;) )

Finally, worms can come out in the animal's feces and, if another animal or person comes into contact, they can get infected, too.

Here's what I think you need to do in order to get rid of tapeworms, once and for all...

First, clean out the litter box, really well. Throw away all used litter and clean up any spilled litter. Use hot water and Clorox bleach to disinfect the litter box and the surrounding area. Make sure you do a good job of this and if your cat or other animals made a mess in the house, clean and disinfect those areas, too. Tapeworm eggs are small... they can be smaller than a grain of sand or as large as a grain of rice. You might not see them but they can still be there and they can reinfect an animal without even knowing it.

Second, get all your animals de-flea-ed. Use flea shampoo if you can. Use flea medicine if you can get it. Clean the heck out of your carpets, upholstery and bedding where animals stay.

Finally, get all your animals de-wormed, even if you don't think they have worms because they might have them without knowing. The eggs take time to hatch and grow. You can probably use OTC de-worm treatments from the pet store, etc. but I would still just call the vet to touch base. De-worm, again, two weeks later. Like I said, worm eggs can be latent for a time after getting infected.

I don't want to be an alarmist but, in your case, where you already lost one pet, I think it's wise to "double down" on prevention.

I'm happy to know that Cinnamon is feeling better and that her problem wasn't anything serious. :)

Thoughts and prayers be with you! Sending good vibes! :vibes:
I live with my grandparents right now and they have 4 dogs and I have 2 cats, but as soon as I saw the worms and the fleas I immediately went out and got some flea medicine. I have this goat dewormer that is safe to use with dogs and cats, at the right dosage of course, so i weighed all the dogs and my other cat so that I could give them the right dosage and they get that for 3 days. But my other cat, Duracell, she got fixed when she was 6 months old and I've had her about 4 years now. But I have never had to give her any flea or earmite medicine because she never got them. But as a safety precaution I have started her on flea and dewormer right now. I have cleaned almost the whole house now and so I should be good to go once Cinnamon is well again.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #23

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
Hi guys, you may have seen my other threads that I have posts that I have done regarding my cats, but for this one I just want some insight into how I should care for my kitten. Cinnamon was an outside kitten up until September 1st. She is currently 6 months old and has been taken to the vet and she has been dewormed, has ear mite medicine and started flea treatments. I am not completely sure on how or what I should do for her more. She has her own litterbox and assortment of toys. I have her set with a full bowl of clean, fresh water at this time, but I don't have her food bowl filled all the way, mainly because I don't want her to get really fat even though she is very playful right now. Whenever I walk into a room she is in, she is very vocal and won't stop meowing until I pick her up(she will immediately start purring) and when someone else walks in the same room she just watches then and won't be vocal, she just sits on her small tower until they leave the room. She has also hissed at my friend when they tried to pick her up/pet her. Is that normal for kittens to do? Should I spend less time with her so she will bond with other people? I am unsure of what to do, I just want her to be very friendly towards people and not pick "favorites" i guess.
 

British Girls

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
249
Purraise
249
Location
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
Hi guys, you may have seen my other threads that I have posts that I have done regarding my cats, but for this one I just want some insight into how I should care for my kitten. Cinnamon was an outside kitten up until September 1st. She is currently 6 months old and has been taken to the vet and she has been dewormed, has ear mite medicine and started flea treatments. I am not completely sure on how or what I should do for her more. She has her own litterbox and assortment of toys. I have her set with a full bowl of clean, fresh water at this time, but I don't have her food bowl filled all the way, mainly because I don't want her to get really fat even though she is very playful right now. Whenever I walk into a room she is in, she is very vocal and won't stop meowing until I pick her up(she will immediately start purring) and when someone else walks in the same room she just watches then and won't be vocal, she just sits on her small tower until they leave the room. She has also hissed at my friend when they tried to pick her up/pet her. Is that normal for kittens to do? Should I spend less time with her so she will bond with other people? I am unsure of what to do, I just want her to be very friendly towards people and not pick "favorites" i guess.
Hi, is she spayed? Is she rolling on the floor? She may be in heat...You should spay her as soon as possible if she's not already.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
She does need to be spayed asap.

She is bonded to you and a bit afraid of strangers. This is not unusual. The more she is exposed to others the more she will relax around other people, but it’s not a problem either way.

I have cats who are friendly to everyone, and others who run and hide if the doorbell rings. Some of it is just personality! Under no circumstances should you spend less time with her. Cats are social animals and need interaction and stimulus on a daily basis.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #26

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
She does need to be spayed asap.

She is bonded to you and a bit afraid of strangers. This is not unusual. The more she is exposed to others the more she will relax around other people, but it’s not a problem either way.

I have cats who are friendly to everyone, and others who run and hide if the doorbell rings. Some of it is just personality! Under no circumstances should you spend less time with her. Cats are social animals and need interaction and stimulus on a daily basis.
She is not spayed right now due to finding an affordable clinic and a good time for me between work and classes.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #27

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
Hi, is she spayed? Is she rolling on the floor? She may be in heat...You should spay her as soon as possible if she's not already.
She has not been rolling on the floor from what I can tell. But I do not let her outside, just because I don't want her to get fleas, ticks or worms again, and because there is a feral male cat roaming around.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Yeah it sounds like she's in heat or going to be in heat very soon. Keep everything locked down tight! A cat in heat can find some ingenious ways to get to the boys. Does she crouch down with her butt in the air? That's a sure sign.

It's fine for her to go into heat a few times as long as you keep her inside (although it might drive YOU insane!), but do try to get her spayed as soon as you can.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #29

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
Yeah it sounds like she's in heat or going to be in heat very soon. Keep everything locked down tight! A cat in heat can find some ingenious ways to get to the boys. Does she crouch down with her butt in the air? That's a sure sign.

It's fine for her to go into heat a few times as long as you keep her inside (although it might drive YOU insane!), but do try to get her spayed as soon as you can.
Yes I will do my very best to get her spayed asap. I have had my fair share of females in heat and I kind of know what to expect. I just didn't think she would be going into heat this soon. I have her kept downstairs most of the time and the only way out without going upstairs is the fire escape, which is kept locked for safety reasons and to keep the cold air out. She will not be getting pregnant on my watch at least. She hasn't started crouching don with her butt in the air.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #30

tatonka1233

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Messages
52
Purraise
43
Location
Jones, MI
Hello again! I have some questions about getting my other cat used to Cinnamon more. Do I just let them around each other 24/7 or give them an hour or so everyday? I’ve never had to keep my cats separated because they grew up together but since Cinnamon came in from outside and Duracell has never gone outside(mainly because she is afraid and has never went outside when the opportunity comes around) so she doesn’t interact with the outside cats. Is there a specific way to do it or will she eventually either come around to liking Cinnamon more or will she just keep a good distance away at all times.
 
Top