Unsure if my cat is unwell or sad

[BeccaT]

I have 3 cats as of recent, we've had our Annie for about 2 years now, and adopted a second cat for her several months later. The second cat was intended to be a play buddy for her but sadly April is not that kind of cat, but they get along. Recently, a third has joined our household after we rescued him from some nearby bushes and cacti. We were unsure if he was going to stay with us at first but eventually, all 3 started to get along and he definitely has a lot of love for Annie in particular. Annie seemed to enjoy playing with him once they warmed up to each other, but for the past week perhaps, she's seemed... depressed.

When we had just the two cats, it was kind of a challenge to play with Annie. April would butt into every play session and take over which then made Annie not want to be involved and simply watched, so we had to separate them into different rooms and play with them that way. This is still the case now but Annie is more easily distracted by the fact the other 2 cats are outside the door and wanting to get in, so she doesn't engage in playtime anymore. She usually plays with spring toys on her own, but again, this past week or less, she hasn't been and doesn't seem to want to play with the kitten either like she did before.

Thankfully, she's still eating, drinking and using the litter box and will come for treats but she's sleeping a lot more than usual and just in general doesn't seem interested in much else, and she seems to be crouching more than usual but doesn't make a noise indicating she's in pain when picked up or touched. My husband is hesitant to take her to the vet until she stops doing one of these things (stops eating for example) because we don't want to take her and then be told she's fine and is likely just sad.

It's genuinely hurting me and my husband as she's the first cat we adopted and of course we love her to death. We spoil her every chance we get (within reason) and give her plenty of pets but she's not the most receptive to being pet or cuddled (never has) but it's impossible to get her to engage in playtime with us these days. We don't know how to help her with being sad and down if this is the case, and we're willing to take her to the vet if this continues and there could be something more to it but I wanted to post here first in case there's any way we can cheer her up, or further diagnose her to figure out what could be wrong with her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. How old is Annie? How long has it been since her last annual/semi-annual exam? How long ago did you get your third cat? And how long after you started separating them for play purposes did it appear Annie became sad? What else would make you think she is sad?

A lot depends on your answers to the questions above. The older a cat gets, the more inclined that something health wise may be going on, even something like arthritis, which can discourage a cat from wanting to play and can cause them to sleep a bit more.

I would never suggest to anyone to wait until a cat stops eating or anything remotely like that to warrant a vet visit. If not health related, it may also be that Annie misses watching the other two cats play..

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Cats are masters at hiding pain, and hiding ill health for that matter. If she were mine, I'd take her in the be checked simply by the fact that she is acting differently than the norm. Believe it or not, they even have anti-depressants for cats, if it turns out to be that. I'm not saying it is, or that she should immediately be put on meds, if ever, but I do think she should be checked over for any health issues, and if your Vet doesn't find anything physical, then they might have recommendation on what to do for possible depression.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I would agree that your cat be checked she isn't acting like her normal self. Sometimes the subtlest of changes are the only changes and your cat can not be feeling well at all due to how well they hide their pain.
With her sleeping more and especially with her hunched over (this is the thing that really stands out to me)

 

[BeccaT]

My husband just discovered she may have some pain in her mouth, he pet the side of her mouth and she squeaked and upon further inspection, it looks like she might have a lump on her lower gum. She was drooling a little yesterday but we only noticed it once and it's not consistent.

I've requested an appointment online at our vet but I won't hear back until tomorrow and don't know when we can take her. What could this be or the cause? Is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable? She's clearly in pain, but thankfully she's still eating normally. She's only 2 years old so I really hope it's not gingivitis or something like that.

 

[FeebysOwner]

She could just have a bad tooth - it happens, even at young ages. Or something stuck in the gum in that area - and, on and on with possibilities. There isn't much you can do to help with pain, other than make a point of not touching that area. The fact that she is eating normally is good, so the pain isn't enough to stop her from wanting to eat. Let us know when you can get her into the vet and what happens from there!

 

[heatherwillard0614]

It is hard to tell what it may be. At least he found it and you have requested an appointment. If you don't hear anything by tomorrow I would call and let them know you had requested one online but haven't heard back yet. I have done this and actually got a sooner appointment because there had been a cancelation 4 days before the date I had requested. (My vet is always booked out for weeks/months)

Like FeebysOwner mentioned, there really isn't much you can do for her at rhis time. You will have to wait doe the appointment with the vet. Hopefully it is just something stuck in her gum causing swelling, or a tooth problem. It would be amazing if it started to disappear with antibiotics or something like that.

 

[BeccaT]

She could just have a bad tooth - it happens, even at young ages. Or something stuck in the gum in that area - and, on and on with possibilities. There isn't much you can do to help with pain, other than make a point of not touching that area. The fact that she is eating normally is good, so the pain isn't enough to stop her from wanting to eat. Let us know when you can get her into the vet and what happens from there!

It is hard to tell what it may be. At least he found it and you have requested an appointment. If you don't hear anything by tomorrow I would call and let them know you had requested one online but haven't heard back yet. I have done this and actually got a sooner appointment because there had been a cancelation 4 days before the date I had requested. (My vet is always booked out for weeks/months)

Like FeebysOwner mentioned, there really isn't much you can do for her at rhis time. You will have to wait doe the appointment with the vet. Hopefully it is just something stuck in her gum causing swelling, or a tooth problem. It would be amazing if it started to disappear with antibiotics or something like that.

Thank you to both of you, it's reassuring to be told it's "normal" if she has something wrong with her tooth or gums. I've tried to brush them in the past but she's very against it so I settled for "greenies" as a daily treat but I know they're not a good replacement.

Will update after our vet visit.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Will update after our vet visit.

Yes please do.

 

[BeccaT]

Her mood seemed to pick up a little in the evening as me and my husband were settling into bed, she started to play with her springs again and generally be more active on her own. Still, even if there's nothing wrong with her gums/teeth, I'm glad to be taking her to the vet because we both feel she needs to be checked out to some degree.

 

[BeccaT]

Vet appointment is booked for Friday. She's back to being lethargic and has slept a majority of today, still drooling a little and generally looks like she has a dirty mouth, but not bloody. Also looks like she's missing a bit of fur around the area. Thankfully she's still eating though, I just feel hopeless not being able to alleviate her pain or discomfort.

Edit: Never mind, she's not eating suddenly. She'll sniff it then run away from it. I did manage to get her to eat a few treats though, but she won't eat wet or dry food right now.

 

[FeebysOwner]

What kind of treats - not hard ones, right? Can you get some baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut Stage 1) and see if she will eat that? If she does, it can tide her over until her vet appt.

 

[BeccaT]

Not long returned from the vet, they suspected she only had some fleas on her chin and she'd been scratching at it and it got inflamed. The lump apparently is normal, all cats have it but on the other side of her mouth it was darker so harder to see. Her mood did get better today anyway, and late last night. Will keep an eye on her but I'm just glad she didn't need anything more than just a flea treatment.

On the subject though, is there anything I can have at home on hand for fleas that actually works? All 3 of our cats are indoor only but we suspect she may have got fleas from my husband's brother, who has 3 flea-infested dogs at home and he was talking about his property likely being infested with fleas as the dogs always come back with them, even after being treated, and we don't want to take them to the vet every time his brother visits.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Fleas can definitely come in via clothing, so your brother in law may indeed may be the culprit, or if his dogs come visiting, then I guess you can blame them.

There are pills you can give for fleas, or topical treatments too. Did you ask your Vet which ones they recommend for your geographic area. Some work better than others depending on where you live.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

If cats ingest infected fleas they will get tapeworms. I figured id just leave some info on that for you for furure references just incase.

To Prevent tapeworm infestation flea prevention is key. Fleas can hitch a ride on you from outside. So even indoor only cats can get fleas then inturn get tapeworms

Tapeworms don't always show up in fecal samples.

Tapeworms are treated with a specific dewormer called Praziquantel. Regular dewormer does not treat tapeworms.
For cats to get tapeworms they have to swallow a flea who had previously ingested a tapeworm egg

The cycle of tapeworms are 14 to 21 days after this time period you can start to see signs of a tapeworm infestation.

Tapeworm Infection in Cats | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals

Learn about tapeworm infection in cats. VCA Animal Hospital offers professional guidance to help you ensure the health and happiness of your pet.

vcahospitals.com

Tapeworms in Cats | Great Pet Care

Tapeworms in cats can cause infections and, left untreated, can be fatal. Read Great Pet Care's vet-recommended home remedies and treatments.

www.greatpetcare.com

Are You Worried That Your Feline Has Parasites? Here Is How to Tell If a Cat Has Worms | PetvBlog

Most cats get worms. Fortunately, if you catch them early, worms are treatable — but you need to know what to look for. Here is how to tell if a cat has worms.

petvblog.com

 

[BeccaT]

If cats ingest infected fleas they will get tapeworms. I figured id just leave some info on that for you for furure references just incase.

To Prevent tapeworm infestation flea prevention is key. Fleas can hitch a ride on you from outside. So even indoor only cats can get fleas then inturn get tapeworms

Tapeworms don't always show up in fecal samples.

Tapeworms are treated with a specific dewormer called Praziquantel. Regular dewormer does not treat tapeworms.
For cats to get tapeworms they have to swallow a flea who had previously ingested a tapeworm egg

The cycle of tapeworms are 14 to 21 days after this time period you can start to see signs of a tapeworm infestation.

Tapeworm Infection in Cats | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals

Learn about tapeworm infection in cats. VCA Animal Hospital offers professional guidance to help you ensure the health and happiness of your pet.

vcahospitals.com

Tapeworms in Cats | Great Pet Care

Tapeworms in cats can cause infections and, left untreated, can be fatal. Read Great Pet Care's vet-recommended home remedies and treatments.

www.greatpetcare.com

Are You Worried That Your Feline Has Parasites? Here Is How to Tell If a Cat Has Worms | PetvBlog

Most cats get worms. Fortunately, if you catch them early, worms are treatable — but you need to know what to look for. Here is how to tell if a cat has worms.

petvblog.com

Thank you for this, it'll be very useful to keep an eye out for this.

She seems relatively okay now, she still seems quite anti-social and now growls at the kitten when he tries to play with her, she's clearly not interested in playing with him lately. But she's still eating, drinking and isn't sleeping too much, but she still doesn't seem like she's 100% back to herself yet.

We're confident it was fleas due to what we cleaned off her chin here and here. What's concerning is how it looks like she's still missing fur from her chin where all the fleas are/were. We're going to look into getting a flea comb, but because of the location, we're unsure if we should/can get any flea shampoo and clean the affected area. The vet took a look over her body and didn't see any sign of fleas anywhere else and said the mess on her chin was definitely "flea dirt", my Googling also shows the same thing.