Discussion
Knowing there are a few 'cat people' on the forums I thought I would post this quandry.
We have had our cat for what seems like forever. It has never really been any bother, a bit annoying at times I'll admit but it's great with the kids even when the young 'un treats it like a stretch armstrong. I am not exactly it's biggest fan but the wife and kids love it and anything for a quiet life.
Mrs MM returned home one afternoon about 3 months ago to find the cat 'throwing some shapes' in the hallway. Afterwards all appeared well and off it trot. However, she was really worried especially when it happened again and was convinced it was possessed. Resisting the temptation to invite Father Damien around we elected to take it off to the vet. The vet prodded it a bit, looked into it's eyes (probably stuck his finger up it's arse) and proclaimed that 'to be sure' what the problem is would involve a full investigation including a full 'CAT' scan and the like costing mega bucks.
Alternatively, there was option 2 which was to try some medication which should help control the fits but no guarantees due to its age etc. At this point it is worthy of note that there was a third option that I brought to the table but this was met with 'daggers' from Mrs MM and a reminder that I was in fact a cold hearted b
d..…. Option 2 was duly selected.
Roll on a few months of medication which has seemed to do the trick but it has now decided to go deaf. This is the bit that is really starting to do my fking box in..!!!
The cat lives outside when we're out for the day or at night and always has done. Before it would 'meeoww' quietly at the front door in the morning or 'meeoww' to be fed. Now though it will sit at the front door scratching at the door and hollering MEEOWW..!!, MEEOWW..!! Continuously from about 5 am onwards. We let it in, it will wander round the house screaming MEEOWW..!!, MEEOWW..!! For no apparent reason until it tires and goes to sleep. We have started to leave it in at night as we feel sorry for it (yeah right) but it follows the same routine apart from commencing the chorus at 2 am without fail.
We have tried everything, leaving it in the garage, locked in the kitchen, talking to it sternly (then recalling that it's deaf), throwing pillows at it etc but all to no avail. So what to do..??
We have had our cat for what seems like forever. It has never really been any bother, a bit annoying at times I'll admit but it's great with the kids even when the young 'un treats it like a stretch armstrong. I am not exactly it's biggest fan but the wife and kids love it and anything for a quiet life.
Mrs MM returned home one afternoon about 3 months ago to find the cat 'throwing some shapes' in the hallway. Afterwards all appeared well and off it trot. However, she was really worried especially when it happened again and was convinced it was possessed. Resisting the temptation to invite Father Damien around we elected to take it off to the vet. The vet prodded it a bit, looked into it's eyes (probably stuck his finger up it's arse) and proclaimed that 'to be sure' what the problem is would involve a full investigation including a full 'CAT' scan and the like costing mega bucks.
Alternatively, there was option 2 which was to try some medication which should help control the fits but no guarantees due to its age etc. At this point it is worthy of note that there was a third option that I brought to the table but this was met with 'daggers' from Mrs MM and a reminder that I was in fact a cold hearted b
d..…. Option 2 was duly selected.Roll on a few months of medication which has seemed to do the trick but it has now decided to go deaf. This is the bit that is really starting to do my f
king box in..!!!The cat lives outside when we're out for the day or at night and always has done. Before it would 'meeoww' quietly at the front door in the morning or 'meeoww' to be fed. Now though it will sit at the front door scratching at the door and hollering MEEOWW..!!, MEEOWW..!! Continuously from about 5 am onwards. We let it in, it will wander round the house screaming MEEOWW..!!, MEEOWW..!! For no apparent reason until it tires and goes to sleep. We have started to leave it in at night as we feel sorry for it (yeah right) but it follows the same routine apart from commencing the chorus at 2 am without fail.
We have tried everything, leaving it in the garage, locked in the kitchen, talking to it sternly (then recalling that it's deaf), throwing pillows at it etc but all to no avail. So what to do..??
It might have a brain tumour or similar , seeing it has had fits and behavioural changes.
My kids got a rescue cat called Marty, after Marty Feldman, as it had bulging eyes.
It had been put into the cat home as its previous elderly owner said 'it is always staring at me', we thought she must have been a bit loopy.
After 2 weeks we knew exactly what she meant, it was a horrible creature, without a single bit of affection or even interesting behaviour in its make up. (And it saved its special hisses for me, as well as random attacks!)
After about a year, it started being friendly, wanting cuddles, etc, we thought it had finally settled in.
Then it started the fits, when it was taken to the vet it had tumours all through it, and the 'jag of doom' was the only solution.
And not being cynical, but a long term medication patient for a vet must be a nice little earner?
My kids got a rescue cat called Marty, after Marty Feldman, as it had bulging eyes.
It had been put into the cat home as its previous elderly owner said 'it is always staring at me', we thought she must have been a bit loopy.
After 2 weeks we knew exactly what she meant, it was a horrible creature, without a single bit of affection or even interesting behaviour in its make up. (And it saved its special hisses for me, as well as random attacks!)
After about a year, it started being friendly, wanting cuddles, etc, we thought it had finally settled in.
Then it started the fits, when it was taken to the vet it had tumours all through it, and the 'jag of doom' was the only solution.
And not being cynical, but a long term medication patient for a vet must be a nice little earner?
First of all let me congratulate you on your superb lack of sympathy towards this poor animsls plight! (Though I do realise, from experience, that a wailing cat is hard to cope with!)
Anyway as mentioned brain tumour has to be high up there as a possibility. This could be causing confusion, senility in the poor critter.
There is no way of confirming diagnosis without specific tests but we were pretty certain our cat suffered the same fate due to specific symptoms inc circling to the left.
Go back to vet see if anything else can be tried if not ascertain cats quality of life (and than your own) and discuss with the wife. We put our cat to sleep when her symptoms worsened, she wasn't in pain but her old character was lost and she started falling off furniture etc. We did not want to leave it too long esp when we realised there was nothing that could be done to help her.
Munroman...I hope you are not implying that a vets would px a pet long term meds just for money... Funnily enough they are usually px to improve an animals quality of life, shock and horror!
Anyway as mentioned brain tumour has to be high up there as a possibility. This could be causing confusion, senility in the poor critter.
There is no way of confirming diagnosis without specific tests but we were pretty certain our cat suffered the same fate due to specific symptoms inc circling to the left.
Go back to vet see if anything else can be tried if not ascertain cats quality of life (and than your own) and discuss with the wife. We put our cat to sleep when her symptoms worsened, she wasn't in pain but her old character was lost and she started falling off furniture etc. We did not want to leave it too long esp when we realised there was nothing that could be done to help her.
Munroman...I hope you are not implying that a vets would px a pet long term meds just for money... Funnily enough they are usually px to improve an animals quality of life, shock and horror!
Edited by becksW on Tuesday 11th May 11:01
Thanks for the feedback.
I tend to agree with a poster above it does have a 'funny look' about it. It just sits there and stares you out. Maybe it is a brain tumour and not just dementia or whatever the cat equivalent is. It is getting on a bit now.
It is also somewhat difficult to be sympathetic to the little ste when it's wailing like a banshee at all hours..!!!
I tend to agree with a poster above it does have a 'funny look' about it. It just sits there and stares you out. Maybe it is a brain tumour and not just dementia or whatever the cat equivalent is. It is getting on a bit now.
It is also somewhat difficult to be sympathetic to the little s
te when it's wailing like a banshee at all hours..!!!Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff