Help Me Help My Cat ):

[natayala]

Hi, I need on help on figuring out what happened to my cat and how to fix it. His name is Mr. Mittens, he often goes outside to wander around and play but he always comes back normal.
Yesterday he left at night with our other cat Kiwi. Behind my house there is a small forest, and he went there with Kiwi. I heard cats fighting (Kiwi and Mittens never fight, didn't sound like Mittens), and my mom quickly called the cats so they could come home and they did.
Today, Mittens is not acting the same. He hisses when he try to put his bottom and his legs(his favorite spot), he hasn't ate, he's been sleeping all day in a hidden spot, and he returned with a ripped tie. He used to be extremely cuddly, and he would do anything for food. But now, he hasn't gotten up all day.
Please help! I want him to be cuddly again.

 

[natayala]

Also, he appears to not be hurt physically.

 

[Anne]

I'm sorry to hear this is happening. Even if you can't see injuries that doesn't mean he hasn't been hurt. A bite from another cat - or possibly another animal - can deliver an infection under the skin through a tiny hole. You should get Mittens to the vet as soon as possible. These infections can build up quickly without veterinary care, causing Mittens a lot of pain and discomfort. His lack of appetite could indicate a fever due to his body's systemic reaction.

Please don't delay medical care with this one and let us know what the vet said.

 

[JMJimmy]

Personally, I would disagree with "rush to the vet" unless you saw specific signs of infection, injury, etc. but it can't hurt anything but your bank account.

Cats are territorial, they fight. When they lose a fight they tend to get traumatized - every cat thinks they're the top cat until they discover they're not. The reason I'm not too worried about his health is that his eyes are clear and sharp, there's no discharge from the eyes to indicate infection, the third eyelid is not inflamed or discoloured but most of all because of the tie. The tie tells me that he's redirecting his aggression - he's not lethargic, he's tearing into stuff because he couldn't tear into that other cat. I would take a wait and see approach, if his eyes go dull or inflammation sets in or he actually becomes lethargic then absolutely take him to the vet.

Edit: An idea is get him playing with something that he can "kill" - ideally something like the mouse or feathers on a string type toy so you can get him really engaged. I'm betting once he starts feeling like king cat again he'll return to normal

Edit 2: Almost forgot: Do this with just him. Keep the other cat away while playing because you don't want the other cat to become a target for his aggression in the middle of play time. Once he's properly tired out or becomes disinterested and lays down (wait for him to relax, no tail twitching, ears relaxed, etc) then let the other cat back in the area. Just do this while he's recovering from his experience - once he starts acting fairly normal just resume your normal routine.

 

[kittens mom]

I don't know what country you live in but if required is your cats rabies up to date ?
My husband almost lost a hand to a cat bite where it penetrated only one tiny dot and the infection was life threatening in less than 48 hours. Your cat may have no apparent injury now but if there is an abscess the longer you wait the more expensive and painful it will be to treat.
Rule of thumb is to always odd behavior as medical first especially since this happened out of your eyesight you have no real idea exactly what happened.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I'm sorry but to me this is a no-brainer: Your cat needs to be checked out by a qualified veterinarian.

 

[JMJimmy]

I don't know what country you live in but if required is your cats rabies up to date ?
Rule of thumb is to always odd behavior as medical first especially since this happened out of your eyesight you have no real idea exactly what happened.

Rabies (and vaccinations in general) is an excellent question.

The issue I have with "rush to the vet", and perhaps this isn't the place to discuss it, is that unless there are symptoms for the vet to diagnose they'd be guessing just as much as we are. The most they can do without identifiable symptoms is do a precautionary antibiotic treatment. Wait for at least 1 symptom to develop so the vet has a starting point of what might be wrong, what tests to run, what course of treatment might be suitable, etc. Otherwise all you have is slightly unusual but non-symptomatic behaviour. To me it'd be like taking your kid to the doctor because they're pouting over a spat with another kid.

 

[natayala]

Thank you for your responses, we will take him to the vet soon.

 

[kittens mom]

Rabies (and vaccinations in general) is an excellent question.

The issue I have with "rush to the vet", and perhaps this isn't the place to discuss it, is that unless there are symptoms for the vet to diagnose they'd be guessing just as much as we are. The most they can do without identifiable symptoms is do a precautionary antibiotic treatment. Wait for at least 1 symptom to develop so the vet has a starting point of what might be wrong, what tests to run, what course of treatment might be suitable, etc. Otherwise all you have is slightly unusual but non-symptomatic behaviour. To me it'd be like taking your kid to the doctor because they're pouting over a spat with another kid.

Perhaps. The question here is the possible injury is of unknown origin as the OP could only hear it could have been their cat making the noise and wildlife or stray dog attacking it. If your cat sneezes you might wait and see if this is just your cat sneezing or the beginning of something else. Because this happened outside, out of view and with an unknown animal you take your pet the vet. A possible fracture of abscess is fairly easy to ID.

 

[JMJimmy]

Since they're taking him to the vet I'll continue the discussion - I didn't want to make it seem like it was a horrible idea, it's not.

My perspective is that you'll get symptomatic behaviours with pretty much every condition that needs to be treated quickly. A fracture will usually be accompanied by typical pain signs if it's serious (limping, agitation/restlessness, crying, curled tail/years back, etc). An abscess will result in licking, rubbing or scratching the area.

When a cat hides/doesn't eat but isn't showing any other symptoms it's a cause to closely monitor the cat to be sure. Especially if it's unrelated to trauma/changes in the cat's environment. Check in every so often for new symptoms, keep track of food/water intake, bowel movements, etc. and if things don't improve in 24-48 hours then take them to the vet.

Cats have been known to hide/stop eating over a new piece of furniture in their space. Emotionally traumatic events can generate the same response - like getting beat up by another cat/animal. It usually resolves pretty quickly though and again, 24-48 hours of wait and watch can mean the difference between your cat starting to return to normal or hundreds of dollars of unnecessary tests/medication and further trauma over nothing.

Obviously if you're unsure and worried a vet visit can be reassuring, that might be worth the money right there. After seeing what ferals can deal with/recover from I guess I have a different perspective. We often don't have a choice of treating them and have to adopt a wait and see approach regardless. As an example, this guy refused to come inside for years - frequent URIs, likely FIV+, and he's a senior:

So painful to watch but every time he, like so many other colony cats, would recover and keep on trucking. He finally decided to "retire" his bad boy street ways thankfully

 

[basscat]

My husband almost lost a hand to a cat bite where it penetrated only one tiny dot and the infection was life threatening in less than 48 hours. Your cat may have no apparent injury now but if there is an abscess the longer you wait the more expensive and painful it will be to treat..

"Should you go to the ER, DR, or take your cat to the Vet?" Is a question that just can't be answered with anything other than a "yes, better safe than sorry".
Inevitably, it's you, your cat, your decision, better or worse judgment.
When I was a child, my sister would haul us to the ER if we sneezed. I bet I went to the Dr EVERY time I stayed at her house for more than three days. I bet my nephew (my age) went 30 times a year.
At home, I'd have to lose a hand or foot to go to the hospital.
That being said, I've been bitten to the bone several times by cats and have never been to the hospital. And I know of people that get touched by a tooth and darn near die from it.

Our tabby was acting lethargic and skittish. I looked him over and found a little rip in his belly and thought it was intestine I was seeing! I took him to the vet. Vet looked him over and said that was why he was acting strange. Gave him a shot, and sent him home. Didn't want to stitch it up because of risk of infection with stitches. And said it was muscle I was seeing.
He was acting normal two days later. Healed up in a couple of weeks.

 

[dustydiamond1]

"Today, Mittens is not acting the same. He hisses when he try to put his bottom and his legs(his favorite spot), he hasn't ate, he's been sleeping all day in a hidden spot, and he returned with a ripped tie. He used to be extremely cuddly, and he would do anything for food. But now, he hasn't gotten up all day.
Please help! I want him to be cuddly again.[/QUOTE]"

If you meant we try to pet/pat his bottom and legs I would suggest the vet ASAP.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Personally, I would disagree with "rush to the vet" unless you saw specific signs of infection, injury, etc. but it can't hurt anything but your bank account.

Cats are territorial, they fight. When they lose a fight they tend to get traumatized - every cat thinks they're the top cat until they discover they're not. The reason I'm not too worried about his health is that his eyes are clear and sharp, there's no discharge from the eyes to indicate infection, the third eyelid is not inflamed or discoloured but most of all because of the tie. The tie tells me that he's redirecting his aggression - he's not lethargic, he's tearing into stuff because he couldn't tear into that other cat. I would take a wait and see approach, if his eyes go dull or inflammation sets in or he actually becomes lethargic then absolutely take him to the vet.

Edit: An idea is get him playing with something that he can "kill" - ideally something like the mouse or feathers on a string type toy so you can get him really engaged. I'm betting once he starts feeling like king cat again he'll return to normal

Edit 2: Almost forgot: Do this with just him. Keep the other cat away while playing because you don't want the other cat to become a target for his aggression in the middle of play time. Once he's properly tired out or becomes disinterested and lays down (wait for him to relax, no tail twitching, ears relaxed, etc) then let the other cat back in the area. Just do this while he's recovering from his experience - once he starts acting fairly normal just resume your normal routine.

He came home with his tie torn, he's not tearing it up.

 

[IndyJones]

In addition to what everyone has said please keep your cats inside from now on. Indoors is the safest place for them. If you must let them out, build an enclosure or get them harnesses.

 

[kittens mom]

Since they're taking him to the vet I'll continue the discussion - I didn't want to make it seem like it was a horrible idea, it's not.

My perspective is that you'll get symptomatic behaviours with pretty much every condition that needs to be treated quickly. A fracture will usually be accompanied by typical pain signs if it's serious (limping, agitation/restlessness, crying, curled tail/years back, etc). An abscess will result in licking, rubbing or scratching the area.

When a cat hides/doesn't eat but isn't showing any other symptoms it's a cause to closely monitor the cat to be sure. Especially if it's unrelated to trauma/changes in the cat's environment. Check in every so often for new symptoms, keep track of food/water intake, bowel movements, etc. and if things don't improve in 24-48 hours then take them to the vet.

Cats have been known to hide/stop eating over a new piece of furniture in their space. Emotionally traumatic events can generate the same response - like getting beat up by another cat/animal. It usually resolves pretty quickly though and again, 24-48 hours of wait and watch can mean the difference between your cat starting to return to normal or hundreds of dollars of unnecessary tests/medication and further trauma over nothing.

Obviously if you're unsure and worried a vet visit can be reassuring, that might be worth the money right there. After seeing what ferals can deal with/recover from I guess I have a different perspective. We often don't have a choice of treating them and have to adopt a wait and see approach regardless. As an example, this guy refused to come inside for years - frequent URIs, likely FIV+, and he's a senior:

So painful to watch but every time he, like so many other colony cats, would recover and keep on trucking. He finally decided to "retire" his bad boy street ways thankfully

"Should you go to the ER, DR, or take your cat to the Vet?" Is a question that just can't be answered with anything other than a "yes, better safe than sorry".
Inevitably, it's you, your cat, your decision, better or worse judgment.
When I was a child, my sister would haul us to the ER if we sneezed. I bet I went to the Dr EVERY time I stayed at her house for more than three days. I bet my nephew (my age) went 30 times a year.
At home, I'd have to lose a hand or foot to go to the hospital.
That being said, I've been bitten to the bone several times by cats and have never been to the hospital. And I know of people that get touched by a tooth and darn near die from it.

Our tabby was acting lethargic and skittish. I looked him over and found a little rip in his belly and thought it was intestine I was seeing! I took him to the vet. Vet looked him over and said that was why he was acting strange. Gave him a shot, and sent him home. Didn't want to stitch it up because of risk of infection with stitches. And said it was muscle I was seeing.
He was acting normal two days later. Healed up in a couple of weeks.

Awww what a sweetie he is.
On a message board when a pet has the possibility of being injured or sick the only responsible response is take them to the veterinarian. I would never want to be the one to say your cat will be fine only to find out it wasn't and that someone took my advise and didn't take them to the vet in time. What looks like a mortal life ending wound to one person looks like a boo boo to someone else. So you don't know the pet or the person describing the situation. Helping each other out in managing a diagnosed chronic condition is much different.

 

[JMJimmy]

He came home with his tie torn, he's not tearing it up.

Ugh I did misread that - that's just dangerous period to let your cat wander around with. They're costumes not collars.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Ugh I did misread that - that's just dangerous period to let your cat wander around with. They're costumes not collars.

Agree. Even a breakaway collar can be dangerous unsupervised.

 

[IndyJones]

Cats shouldn't be outside unsupervised period. That's like letting a toddler crawl down the street.

 

[kskatt]

Personally, I would disagree with "rush to the vet" unless you saw specific signs of infection, injury, etc. but it can't hurt anything but your bank account.

Cats are territorial, they fight. When they lose a fight they tend to get traumatized - every cat thinks they're the top cat until they discover they're not. The reason I'm not too worried about his health is that his eyes are clear and sharp, there's no discharge from the eyes to indicate infection, the third eyelid is not inflamed or discoloured but most of all because of the tie. The tie tells me that he's redirecting his aggression - he's not lethargic, he's tearing into stuff because he couldn't tear into that other cat. I would take a wait and see approach, if his eyes go dull or inflammation sets in or he actually becomes lethargic then absolutely take him to the vet.

Edit: An idea is get him playing with something that he can "kill" - ideally something like the mouse or feathers on a string type toy so you can get him really engaged. I'm betting once he starts feeling like king cat again he'll return to normal

Edit 2: Almost forgot: Do this with just him. Keep the other cat away while playing because you don't want the other cat to become a target for his aggression in the middle of play time. Once he's properly tired out or becomes disinterested and lays down (wait for him to relax, no tail twitching, ears relaxed, etc) then let the other cat back in the area. Just do this while he's recovering from his experience - once he starts acting fairly normal just resume your normal routine.

You wait until you can see a physical injury? Every behavior described is probably an indication of pain. Cats are very good at hiding pain and you have to suspect any unusual behavior.

He came home with his tie torn, he's not tearing it up.

We are talking about an actual tie, a piece of cloth? Please don't let any cat out with something around it's neck, horrible things can, and do happen.

 

[astrael]

I wanna give some background before giving my advice.

Growing up, my family took in any cat that showed up at our door. Almost all the cats were indoor/outdoor. Some were mostly feral, but would shelter from really bad weather for a little bit inside. (We made shelters under our second story deck for the very feral ones) One or two never wanted outside again after getting inside. This seemed pretty normal. Most of them were always fine. One cat lived to 21, very healthy aside from a minor, easily controlled, thyroid issue.

One kitty, my crazy baby, Merlin, was not so lucky. He got FIV. And he lost a leg to a neighbor's car engine. It was horrible. He thankfully pulled through, and lived another 10 good years (a few issues with urinary blockages), till he got cancer.

At least a dozen other cats were fine. But my first black cat suffered horribly. Unnecessarily. He was a heck of a fighter, and never let the lost leg hold him back. But still, it NEVER should have happened.

Now, I care for a feral colony. There is a major highway near by. Some have fallen to cars. It's horribly tragic. The original 4 are very careful crossing streets. The newcomers have also learned how to safely cross the street, and they avoid the highway. This is scary, but most would not adjust to living indoors (I made a few attempts). But last fall, one young kitty chose the life of a pet, Scutch.

He's extremely clumsy. He's healthy, just uncoordinated. I used to let him go out to visit his friends as he was coming in more and more. But by February, I saw he was getting over-stimulated when he'd go outside. He'd pick fights (and he's usually so gentle and friendly, with humans and other cats). He lost his breakaway collar. He wouldn't let me near him outside. He was crazed. And he'd be a terror when he came in too. It would take hours, and lots of play, for him to calm down enough to pet him again even inside.

So, I talked to everyone in the house, and we decided to make him indoor only. Does he seem to want out sometimes? Absolutely. Do I think he misses it? Yes. Do I feel bad about it? Actually, despite knowing all the dangers, I do feel bad denying him that.

But it is the right choice. He was a danger to himself and others outside. He's safer, and now clearly happier, staying in a controlled environment. He has Judy (Neighborhood sweetheart, that visits several houses) visit on occasion. He sees the others out the full view back door. He has his own safe and unchallenged territory with a huge second story window to see everything outside. Plus, we discovered he has allergies, which cleared up. No more snoring, much less sneezing/leaky nose. We have pollen blocking screens in windows cause my allergies are very bad, and my hubby's grandma has very bad asthma. We're disabled, and home with him all day every day, so he's never completely alone.

It sounds like your cat might be starting to have many of the same issues. His instincts will tell him he needs to defend himself, even once safe inside. It could lead to some very undesired behaviors, like spraying and scratching furniture (marking territory).

I know it can be a tough thing to do, and yes, you probably will feel bad about it sometimes. But the safety and well-being of our pets is of far greater importance than indulging their every whim. And I can say with absolute certainty, Scutch is happier, calmer, and better behaved since staying indoors only. He has adjusted, and doesn't try to get out much anymore either.

It may be time to seriously consider it. I highly recommend it, based on your original post. You can avoid a lot of heartache and pain. And the sooner you make the switch, the faster they adjust.

(BTW, I'm glad you're taking him to the vet. He could have fallen and injured something. I've seen lots of the ferals hurt a paw or tail from a bad fall.)