Gender: Male
Location: Michigan
Occupation: Student
Age: 19
AIM: Digitalleech
Member Since: February 17, 2005
Answers: 43
Last Update: March 11, 2005
Visitors: 3515
Favorite Columnists
Here2HelpU
|
| |
|
I've had my cat for about ten years now, and lately my parents have said she has been acting strange. This morning I saw her eating out of a Chinese food bag that had been in the garbage, so I calmly said "no", and threw it away. Then I tried to pet her and she moved away. I tried a few more times, she kept walking away. She wouldn't come sit on my lap, though she did come when I moved wiggled my fingers. But she doesn't like it when I touch her at all. We think it's just because she's very old, but we can't really take her to the vet because we don't have a lot of money. However, my parents are thinking about putting her down soon because we don't want to see her in pain and my mother said that she was considering taking her to the vet to see what was wrong. What is wrong with her? Is it really just that she's old? What should I do? (Besides going to the vet, I mean) Thanks a lot : ) (link)
|
Alright, what I see from here is this.
This cat normally likes being petted, you've had her for 10 years after all, and she suddenly changed, and this is bothering you.
Alright, now there is the possibility that the cat is scared because you threw it. This does happen, but it usually doesn't last more than about 5 minutes for mine unless I really, really hurt it (which I've only done once and which I hate myself for). So I don't feel this is normal behavior unless you haven't done such a thing before.
If the cat seems to shy away if you pet it, try a more gentle form of petting, like using one or two fingers to gently scratch or rub, not hard at all, on the head or neck. I've experienced a lot with my cat, and there are general areas that give them pleasure to rub, including the area behind the ears, the top of the head, the jawbones/cheekbones (this might just be my cat :x), and the neck under the chin. Perhaps only one part of her gives her pain.
Old cats can start getting seriously bothered by pain. I have an aunt whose cat is still alive after 17 years, but it's constantly in pain. Trying to pet it tends to make it meow and shy away, so they just kinda very gently ruffle its fur. The cat can live with the pain for a long time, and it still can be happy and pleasured, just try to make it up by giving it pleasure without causing pain.
Its not sitting in your lap can be based on its just not feeling like lying down at the time...my cat usually refuses to sit still somewhere if it's hungry or wants to go outside, but some cats can be more moody. Once again, you know the cat, if this is wierd and it seems to not want anything then maybe there is something wrong with it.
A vet would be best if this persists for more than a day. Just work with it until you can tell whether this is a phase or something serious.
|
|
Rating: 5
| |
Thanks, but I never threw her, and this has been going on for a couple of weeks. Thanks, though. : )
|
|