Something has changed with my cat

[elphabafalls]

First, my cat has an unusual history. She was found living in the walls of my husband's work. His job was located very near a dumping site where people dump unwanted pets. Katie is a fighter, though, because she made her way into the building and into its walls. She made herself known by meowing very loudly while they were in meetings. Shortly after that, the manager took her to the vet and had her bathed and fixed up. She was fixed already, but somehow she'd injured herself - or something had injured her - while living in the walls. She was so filthy that everyone thought she was a gray cat. She's actually completely white. We took her home. That was about 14 years ago. She was fully an adult and was already litter trained when we got her, so she was someone's baby at one point. Because of this, we have no idea how old she really is. Lately, her behavior is changing. She walks around the house meowing loudly instead of sleeping the day away. There are only 2 closed doors in the house, and she's never been interested in running in the rooms when I open them. Lately, she fights to get in. She's very clingy too. She wants to be next to one of us constantly. Usually, she prefers her bed during the day and sleeps with us at night. The other day, I got a cold drink out of the fridge and she pressed the top of her head to the bottle for a long time. She's lost some weight, though she seems to be eating and drinking fine. The most concerning thing is that her face looks different. It's like the places where her whiskers grow are swollen. It's not a drastic difference. We see her everyday. Someone who didn't wouldn't notice. I hesitate to take her to the vet only because car rides and office visits are extremely stressful for her. She likes my husband and I and that's it. If it's not something serious, I'd rather treat her at home. My fear is that she's just a lot older than even the 14+2 years that we estimate her to be, and she's simply coming to the end of her life.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. She could have hyperthyroidism. It is fairly common in older cats and treatable. If you have a feline only vet nearby, it would be best to talk to them first. They may be able to send you home with some Gabapentin to give her before the visit to help with stress. A full blood panel with thyroid would be in order.

 

[elphabafalls]

Thank you. I'm caught between causing her stress to make sure she's ok and wondering if she's just getting old and I'm overreacting.

 

[silent meowlook]

If it is hyperthyroidism, the longer it goes untreated the more damage is done.

 

[elphabafalls]

This is a very recent change - I'd say a week at most. I also read that unkempt coat is a sign, and I was just looking at her and wondering why her fur looked so raggedy. She's always been a gorgeous, sleek cat.

 

[fionasmom]

There are a collection of symptoms that would be best to have a vet assess. Even at her age, conditions like hyperthyroidism is not hard to treat. If she is much older than you think, the vet can possibly make her more comfortable and give her some good quality of life.

Is the actual face swollen where the whiskers are, or is the swelling in the gum?

 

[elphabafalls]

Yeah, I'm going to make an appoinment for the first of next week. Today, I'm sitting with my sick dog. It seems to be the face and not the gums. When I checked, much to her consternation, I could actually feel the puffiness in her face and her gums look ok. We're lucky that she's always been a healthy cat since she hates going to the vet with a passion. We take her to the shot clinic which is super quick. She's only had to go to the vet once to get treated for something.

 

[fionasmom]

She was very lucky to have been rescued by you. Please let us know what happens.

 

[elphabafalls]

She was very lucky to have been rescued by you. Please let us know what happens.

I will - thank you!

 

[leeann77]

Hi! My cat developed hyperthyroidism when he got older. For a couple of years before he was diagnosed, I noticed he was more aggressive than usual, just crabby and kind of swiping at me once in awhile. I later found out that is one of the symptoms. Have the vet test for T4 levels- they didn’t find it with just a regular blood panel. They have an oral medication for it- if it goes untreated and they lose too much weight it starts to eat at their heart muscle.
Around the same time his face would swell up around his eye so it was almost shut. The dermatologist eventually said “allergies” and they put him on a steroid for the rest of his life. Apparently cats can tolerate steroids very well.
He did end up with a heart murmur eventually and towards the end had 7 different medications (!) but he made it to almost 20 years old. I was glad that I did everything I could to extend his life.
Good luck and keep us updated!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

I hesitate to take her to the vet only because car rides and office visits are extremely stressful for her.

Hi, can you ask the vet for a calming product that you could give at home before you head in for the appointment?

 

[elphabafalls]

Hi, can you ask the vet for a calming product that you could give at home before you head in for the appointment?

We recently moved, but I've found a new vet for my dog because she recently got sick. She has a bad habit of eating weird crap she finds in the back yard - including our chicken's poo.They seem like a wonderful vet even though the're not cat specific. They're literally 45 seconds down the road, so that will minimize her stress - and yes, long answer short, I believe she would give me something to calm her prior to the visit.

 

[Furballsmom]