Does my cat resent me for leaving him alone when I went to work?
Posted on | June 28, 2009 | No Comments
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
I just adopted a 7-month-old tuxedo cat (obviously named Tux) two days ago. The first two days were great; we bonded by playing and cuddling. Today I had to work and he was home alone for six hours. When I came home, he was hiding–for the first time in two days–and wouldn’t come when I called him. Is he feeling resentful toward me because I left him alone for the first time? I made sure I left his toys out, he had fresh food and water, and cleaned his litter box before I left. Tux is finally starting to come around, but I’ve already been home for three hours, and he is just now coming out of hiding. Is there something I can do to make it up to him, or show him that I still care? I don’t want to scare him by cornering him.
~Julia
My cat is staggering and acting like he’s having hallucinations. Help!
Posted on | June 21, 2009 | 4 Comments
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My male cat is about 6 years old and just within the past couple of days, he has been acting like his balance is off kilter. I put him down off of my bed and he just kind of fell over to his side and laid in that same spot for a very long time. Since then, he has his eyes closed most of the time or squints, and he paws at things that aren’t there and has just been acting very strange ever since. He went outside yesterday and never came back in last night, even when called, which is extremely strange being that he’s never done that before. I was thinking something terrible happened or there was something really wrong with him and he went off to pass away somewhere. He showed back up this morning but he’s still acting very delusional, weak on his legs like he can’t walk, and stumbles and staggers everywhere he does go. Please help!
~Chelsey
Siouxsie: There are three common reasons why a cat might have these symptoms: Poisoning, a head injury, or an inner ear infection.
How can I make sure my FIV-positive cat lives a long, healthy life?
Posted on | June 14, 2009 | 1 Comment
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
We just brought home a foster cat named Sunshine. He’s an unbelievable lovebug who wants to be close to us at all times — he just won’t stop purring and nudging for love!
Sadly, Sunshine is FIV-positive, which is why we’re hesitant to follow through with adoption. We recently lost a cat to lymphosarcoma, and it’s still hard on both of us. We want to be sure to give him the best possible care to be certain he’ll stay healthy.
We’ll probably pay a visit to the vet sooner or later, but I’m trying to keep his stress levels low as he adjusts to his new home (he seems to love it; he’s cuddling next to me on his back right now). Do you have any recommendations about how to give him the best of everything? And are his chances of living a long, healthy life good?
Many thanks!
~Sunshine, Alicia, and Tony
Siouxsie: First of all, thank you for taking in a foster cat. And thank you even more for being willing to open your home and your heart to an FIV-positive cat. All cats deserve loving “forever homes,” and we think humans who take in cats with special needs are particularly wonderful.
Thomas: Cats infected with the feline immunodeficiency virus can live long, healthy lives as long as they get the best possible care. It sounds to us like you’re willing to do all you can to keep Sunshine healthy. Read more
