Sea Change in Cat

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Caliban - 04 Jan 2004 22:03 GMT

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

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Karen - 04 Jan 2004 23:23 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
> illness?

I'm certain it will come back to him ;)

Karen

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Caroline - 23 Jan 2004 18:02 GMT

"Karen" <kchuplis@alltelPOP.netGOAWAY> wrote
Caliban (now "Caroline") wrote:
snip

> > As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
> > After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> > up
> > on the piano keys when I am playing.

> I'm certain it will come back to him ;)

And this morning for the first time in over a month it did. ;-)

Further: A couple weeks ago a second abscess developed an inch or so from the
first. I treated it similarly, except that I started using highly diluted
chlorhexidine gluconate (a.k.a. Novalsan, I believe) for flushing the wound.
Dilution was 1.5%, not counting the dilution that resulted when I washed the
wound and the nearby fur a bit further with warm water. Flushing was several
times a day. Recovery was much better, I think due to the chlorhexidine gluc.
instead of mere hydrogen peroxide. The discharge from the abscess wasn't nearly
as large and putrid; the swelling was much less; my cat never reached the
previous lethargic and feverish state.

I am still not sure if the second abscess was due to another bite that I could
not see or the infection from the first abscess spreading.

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Mary - 23 Jan 2004 18:22 GMT

> "Karen" <kchuplis@alltelPOP.netGOAWAY> wrote
> Caliban (now "Caroline") wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> I am still not sure if the second abscess was due to another bite that I could
> not see or the infection from the first abscess spreading.

Maybe time to keep the kitty in?

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Caroline - 23 Jan 2004 18:36 GMT

> "Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> wrote in
> > I am still not sure if the second abscess was due to another bite
> that I could
> > not see or the infection from the first abscess spreading.
>
> Maybe time to keep the kitty in?

Oh yes. The last time he was out was months ago, when the first abscess first
happened. He's never going out again if I can help it. (By "another bite," I
meant another bite received during the same scrap where he presumably got the
first bite.)

Hard lesson. Stupidity on my part.

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m. L. Briggs - 05 Jan 2004 00:48 GMT

>Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
>illness?

I have noticed that cats like to change their routine occasionally.

Reply to this Message

Priscilla Ballou - 05 Jan 2004 03:22 GMT

> >Hello,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> >Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
> >illness?

Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Priscilla

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Caliban - 05 Jan 2004 06:17 GMT

"Priscilla Ballou" <vze23t8n@verizon.net> wrote
snip

> Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
> piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
> avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
> connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
> their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Yes, this is possible. Good idea. He may indeed have tried to jump up (maybe
even a few times; those piano keys with the hands dancing on them look like fair
game) when the abscess was swollen and had particularly bad bouts of pain.

He seems more docile in general. He'll let me pick him up while I'm standing and
hold him for as long as I am able now. Before he wasn't all that keen on being
picked up for more than a moment.

Perhaps we bonded a little more because of this trauma. Or maybe this is wishful
thinking on my part. He's a good cat, either way.

To share more for the interested reader:
Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
outside (which is not going to happen on purpose ever again). If he's run around
a lot already for the morning, I time him out for like five minutes in his (very
large) travel crate, in view of me. He settles down really fast. When I open the
door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

Reply to this Message

Priscilla H Ballou - 05 Jan 2004 18:04 GMT

Caliban <caliban03nospam@earthlink.net> quoth:

>He seems more docile in general. He'll let me pick him up while I'm standing and
>hold him for as long as I am able now. Before he wasn't all that keen on being
>picked up for more than a moment.

>Perhaps we bonded a little more because of this trauma. Or maybe this is wishful
>thinking on my part. He's a good cat, either way.

>To share more for the interested reader:
>Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
>strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

These paragraphs seem possibly linked to me. He's had a big dose of
attention from you related to his care during his healing. So now he's
happier in physical contact with you, more docile about that contact, and
asks for attention. He sounds more bonded to me. I mean, he sounds to me
as if he's more bonded to you!

The cat I grew up with got very sick after we adopted him. My mother
nursed him back to health with droppers of warm milk and brandy, then
treated ringworm on top of his head with a cooling potion. For both of
these treatments, she put him in the leg of a pair of my jeans. I was
four years old at the time. That kitten grew into a cat who was totally
attached to us all. I used to carry him upside down, with his tail and
legs over my shoulder, and he'd purr all the while. (I stopped when I got
older and wised up.)

I think something similar may have happened with you and your little guy.
Your relationship may have just become even more special.

Priscilla

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Caliban - 05 Jan 2004 18:55 GMT

"Priscilla H Ballou" <phb@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote
snip

> These paragraphs seem possibly linked to me. He's had a big dose of
> attention from you related to his care during his healing. So now he's
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> I think something similar may have happened with you and your little guy.
> Your relationship may have just become even more special.

Thanks for sharing this. I always like reading these histories. My cat certainly
had a rough go as I cleaned out his abscess several times over a few days, but
he got better about it each time. The theory that all this caused him to be more
comfortable with close contact certainly seems sound to me. :-)

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Mary - 05 Jan 2004 19:02 GMT

"Caliban"

> To share more for the interested reader:
> Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
> strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

You sound like an intelligent and interesting cat dad. :)

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Caliban - 05 Jan 2004 20:36 GMT

> "Caliban"
> > To share more for the interested reader:
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> >
> You sound like an intelligent and interesting cat dad. :)

Thanks. I am amazed this "time out" trick worked.

Likewise, I am enjoying your posts.

I'm actually a cat mom. I'll switch to my other address ("Caroline") and kill
this one fully, as most people think the name "Caliban" is a man's.

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Mary - 06 Jan 2004 04:33 GMT

"Caliban" <caliban03nospam@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:XUjKb.21814>

> I'm actually a cat mom. I'll switch to my other address ("Caroline") and kill
> this one fully, as most people think the name "Caliban" is a man's.

Ha ha! That explains it! Of course you are a good cat
parent/friend--but perhaps what is above average in a woman is even
more exceptional in a man! <ducking and running!

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