- Joined
- Aug 24, 2017
- Messages
- 5
- Purraise
- 2
So I'm going to try and press the vet to take us, but my 8 month old kitten has always been the happiest, most easy-going kitten. He's a total ham (or Mayor McCheese as we say here) around people and even likes dogs (sometimes BIG dogs!)... but the past few weeks he's been really scared and I can't figure out why. He's not his usual self. He eats and gets excited about food, he mostly plays with his toys like normal, though not around his brother as much.
But he hides now, which he's NEVER done before, he's not as cuddly, whereas he used to sleep in bed with me every night, sometimes to the point I'd wake up to find him in my arms.
He loved to be held and I could even hand him to strangers to be held and he'd be totally happy and purring (I have the pictures with Santa to prove it. After waiting in an all-dog line and playing with cashiers while we waited the half hour!)
But now? scared, suspicious, no love-blinks, nothing. 90% of the time now the fur on his back is sticking up.
The one thing I noticed today, after a couple weeks of this behavior, was that his anus looked swollen I guess? No prolapse and nothing red (maybe a little pink) but it almost looked like there's something pushing the area around the anus out (nothing internal is poking out). I can't tell what this is or if it is the reason for his behavior.
I just want him to be his happy, confident self. Anyone know what this could be?
Notes: the vet can't take us til next week but I'm hesitant to give it that long now that I've seen his butt issue, his diet has been the same home-made raw food diet (given to us by a nutritionist because he can't process the carbs in dry food) for 6 months without anything like this happening (and his previous issues caused by the dry food had gone completely away within 1 month of him being on the new diet), there have been no major changes to anything aside a new litter box, which he took too well and never had an issue with. That was a month ago. His brother has been with us since the raw diet started in August. There's been no travel or changes otherwise. I really am at a loss.
But he hides now, which he's NEVER done before, he's not as cuddly, whereas he used to sleep in bed with me every night, sometimes to the point I'd wake up to find him in my arms.
He loved to be held and I could even hand him to strangers to be held and he'd be totally happy and purring (I have the pictures with Santa to prove it. After waiting in an all-dog line and playing with cashiers while we waited the half hour!)
But now? scared, suspicious, no love-blinks, nothing. 90% of the time now the fur on his back is sticking up.
The one thing I noticed today, after a couple weeks of this behavior, was that his anus looked swollen I guess? No prolapse and nothing red (maybe a little pink) but it almost looked like there's something pushing the area around the anus out (nothing internal is poking out). I can't tell what this is or if it is the reason for his behavior.
I just want him to be his happy, confident self. Anyone know what this could be?
Notes: the vet can't take us til next week but I'm hesitant to give it that long now that I've seen his butt issue, his diet has been the same home-made raw food diet (given to us by a nutritionist because he can't process the carbs in dry food) for 6 months without anything like this happening (and his previous issues caused by the dry food had gone completely away within 1 month of him being on the new diet), there have been no major changes to anything aside a new litter box, which he took too well and never had an issue with. That was a month ago. His brother has been with us since the raw diet started in August. There's been no travel or changes otherwise. I really am at a loss.