Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us
Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network
Home
Discussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue
CatKB.com
Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map

Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / September 2003

Tip: Looking for answers? Try searching our database.

Lethargy and Reduced Appetite

Thread view: 
Enable EMail Alerts  Start New Thread
Thread rating: 
Waldogator - 19 Sep 2003 07:43 GMT
For the last week or so, my 3 year-old female cat has been spending
the entire day and night lying on one surface, leaving the spot only
to eliminate and eat.    She'll spend three or four days at each
location before moving on to another place.  I sealed off access to
certain parts of my living room because she would camp out there and
refuse to use her litter box (too far away? marking behavior?), opting
for the carpet instead.  This is all unusual behavior for her; she
used to be more active and would nap in multiple locations.  Also, she
used to eat more.

Question: is this normal, given the factors listed below?  Or is it
indicative of depression?  Or anemia?  Or something else?  Any advice
appreciated.

Possible Contributing Factors:
-- We moved into a new apartment six weeks ago
-- We have two new human roommates and one new adult male feline
roommate;  the human roomies are very cat-friendly; my cat and my
roommate's cat have avoided one another for six weeks; while they have
seen one another, there have been no fights or no close
interactions... it's as if they have no interest in one another
-- My cat is a rescued feral cat who has always avoided other cats
and, until recently, has never allowed anyone to pet her
-- She has been an indoor/outdoor cat since I adopted her over a year
ago; I typically let her roam the apartment complex at night, however
I've been keeping her confined to my apartment and outside deck for
the past six weeks
--  Upon moving into this new apartment, my cat got fleas; she never
had them at my old place; in fact, she didn't have fleas when I found
her living outside and she's never picked them up during her nightly
forays outdoors; now she's got many bites around her head and neck;
her scratching, however, has steadily declined in frequency

Thanks for your help.

Chris
zuzu22@webtv.net - 19 Sep 2003 07:56 GMT
Please take your cat to a vet ASAP. This is not normal behavior. Cats
are very good at hiding illness, and when you notice a cat is not well
the cat at that point is probably feeling pretty sick. Any sudden change
in behavior should always be taken seriously and warrants a trip to the
vet. Your cat also needs to be treated for the fleas and wormed as fleas
will cause tapeworm in cats.

Megan

                                   
Signature


"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

Waldogator - 19 Sep 2003 10:44 GMT
Thanks for the advice.  This change was by no means sudden.  And the
presence of new people, a new cat, and the move to a new apartment
with new territory make it difficult to assign the blame for her
behavioral change to simple medical factors, or so I assumed.  Right
now, she's actively moving around my bedroom and even playing with a
teaser, so the change isn't perfectly consistent either.  And she just
ate an entire bowl of food.  But I'll take her to the vet as soon as I
get paid.  Thanks.

C

>Please take your cat to a vet ASAP. This is not normal behavior. Cats
>are very good at hiding illness, and when you notice a cat is not well
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
>- W.H. Murray
Luvskats00 - 19 Sep 2003 09:50 GMT
Waldogator@nicegator.co.uk writes

>For the last week or so, my 3 >year-old female cat has been >spending the
entire day and night >lying on one surface, leaving the >spot only to eliminate
and eat. She >refuse(d) to use her litter box...

Tap..tap (is the microphone on?)...Attention..attention...to all those who are
confused...NEWSGROUPS are excellent sources for obtaining information about
routine matters...non-urgent matters..and a backup source. It should never be
considered a primary source when one need information on emergencies and/or
urgent matters.  Obviously (or not so obviously to many) a bit of common sense
is expected when one is a caretaker to a companion animal...an animal who is
dependent on a human for food, shelter and medical care.  If a 3 1/2 year old -
previously healthy - cat stops going in his/her box, and goes on the carpet,
instead..the caretaker should put two and two together and conclude..."Oh,
something is wrong medically or otherwise. and I better have a vet check to see
if there is a health problem....after all, cats usually go in the box unless
something is wrong!"  Then, the caretaker should place a call to the vet.
Waldogator - 19 Sep 2003 10:47 GMT
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to deliver a snarky
lecture on the proper use of this newsgroup and to insinuate that I'm
an idiot.  Please don't feel compelled to reply to any of my future
posts.  Thanks again!.

>Waldogator@nicegator.co.uk writes
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>if there is a health problem....after all, cats usually go in the box unless
>something is wrong!"  Then, the caretaker should place a call to the vet.
Cathy Friedmann - 19 Sep 2003 22:08 GMT
This does not sound like normal behavior.  A vet appt. asap.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble")  Paul Simon

> For the last week or so, my 3 year-old female cat has been spending
> the entire day and night lying on one surface, leaving the spot only
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>
> Chris
 
Sign In
Join
My Latest Posts
My Monitored Threads
My Blog
My Photo Gallery
My Profile
My Homepage

Start New Thread
Enable EMail Alerts
Rate this Thread



©2008 Advenet LLC   Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.