forgetfullness and smelly b.m.

[gert452000]

Hi Amy,
Thank you for taking time to to answer our questions.
My kitty will be 12 in August. She seems to be aging nicely. She does have moments when I wonder if she has gotten lost in the house. She will let out a mournful cry, it almost sounds like she is in pain. When I hear this cry I say loudly, "Ok come here, its okay." She then comes running to me and jumps up in my lap. I assume she has either forgotten where she wanted to be and needed to hear my voice or she just wants to let me know that she needs my lap. I am not too concerned about that though. Unless I should be? What I would really like to know is this, when she has a bowel movement it can be smelled all over the house. It is a very awful smell. This started about 4-5 months ago. She eats the same food she always has and has a good appetite.
If the answer to this problem is a dietary change do you have a recommendation on how to make the change? I have 4 other kitties beside Little Kitty and they all eat from the same dish.
In the picture she is the calico.
Thanks fr o any advice you might have.

 

[amy shojai]

Hi there,

Those mournful cries do sound distressing. It's hard to say exactly what's prompting the call. There are a number of things that *might* prompt the meow.

Older cats often suffer from some degree of hearing loss. When that happens, they may not be as able to keep track of your whereabouts in the house--so they "call" for you when they can't hear/find you. Other times, hard of hearing cats have a more strident cry because they simply can't hear themselves. Certainly, cats suffering from "senility" also may cry in this way but she's still a bit young for that. *s* Another common condition that can prompt strident calls or even howling is the discomfort felt from hypertension (high blood pressure) and that's a symptom of kidney disease. It's probably best to get your kitty a vet check to rule out the physical problems, just in case.

As for the smelly stool--again, a vet check is in order. Take a stool sample. Giardia can make the cat's deposits smell REEEEEEEEEL BAAAAAAAD, but there might be something else going on, too. A change in digestion, for example, or a metabolic disease could influence the deposits.

best,

amy

 

[gert452000]

Thank you for your reply. I do hae a couple of other questions though.
What is "giardia"?
A couple of years ago the vet heard a heart murmmur in Little Kitty that had not been there before. We have kept close watch (listen) on this and he says that there has not been any change. Little Kitty was in to see the vet in February and he said then that she was quit healthy. Of course I didn't think to mention the yowling or the smell. Could the heart murmmur cause this?
Thanks again.

 

[amy shojai]

Giardia could cause the smell, but don't know about the heart murmur and the yowling. Heart *disease* accompanied by high blood pressure might be an influence. Your vet would have to run further tests on that.

Giardia is a parasite, a protozoan (single cell organism)that lives in the small intestines. It can cause intermittent diarrhea that's characteristicly very smelly.

It is difficult to diagnose 1)because it's so tiny and 2) because it only is shed in the pet's feces now and then, even when the pet is infected. So tests can come back a "false negative" even when giardia is present.

Giardia infection is also hard to get rid of. The most common treatment is the drug Flagyl (metronidazole), and several rounds of medication may be necessary. There's also a vaccination available from the vet to prevent further spred of the infection--but ask your vet if it's appropriate.

I have no idea if that's what's causing your cat's smelly deposits. But it might be something to ask about, in addition to the yowling.

amy