Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
A little over a week ago I adopted two male kittens. At first, the larger, Bullock, seemed uneasy in his new environment and was having a tough time with the litter box, while little Pip was a pro with the litter box, and was extremely affectionate and playful. About three days ago, the tables seemed to have turned. Bullock, thankfully, is doing much better with the litter box, and has become much more outgoing and affectionate. Pip, however, has pretty much stopped playing altogether. He would much rather sleep all the time, and especially seeks me out to sleep on. He also seems to be having some motor problems, often falling over when he walks, and he will have to sit down every couple of steps. He is definitely not running around like he used to. He is still eating okay, and though he is making it to the litter box, he no longer buries his feces. I saw a vet today, who ran parasite screenings on both animals' stool, both negative. She also said Pip did not have a fever, she saw nothing on an X-ray, and a parvo test was negative. She said to just keep an eye on him, but I am just so concerned, obviously, by Pip's sudden change in behavior with no apparent causes. Any thoughts?

Thank you so much,
Christina, Pip, & Bullock

Sinéad: Well, Christina, moving to a new home is tough for all cats, so we can certainly understand Bullock's difficulties at first. We too are surprised that your little Pip seems to have developed problems after he arrived at your home, especially if he was OK when you brought him there.

Siouxsie: We're glad you took Pip to a vet and got him checked out. The first thing we thought when you described his symptoms is that he may have suffered some kind of injury. Head or back injuries can cause dizziness and lameness. But since your vet took an X-ray and didn't find anything, that possible cause is eliminated.

Thomas: Some kittens have heart problems like cardiomyopathy or severe heart murmurs. Sometimes cats that have heart problems have mobility problems and they can have trouble moving their rear legs. But again, the fact that you took Pip to the vet, who presumably listened to his heart during the checkup and found everything healthy, essentially eliminates this possibility.

Sinéad: The fact that Pip is eating well is a sign that whatever's going on is probably not too serious. So now we're left with a mystery. The two most obvious problems have been eliminated, and we're left with guessing what could be wrong.

Siouxsie: One of the things we might suspect is intoxication. If the behavior is periodic, or if it only happened once, we may conclude that he got into something that affected his perception. Whether it's catnip, a pharmaceutical or recreational drug (or the remains of such) left out where kitty can find it, or the dregs of an alcoholic beverage made with milk, it is possible that a kitty could get himself stoned by accident.

Thomas: But cats can become intoxicated or poisoned by things that aren't human drugs, too. Some toxic substances like antifreeze can cause a cat to appear drunk. Of course, if your kitty had consumed antifreeze, he would be in acute renal failure right now and much sicker.

Sinéad: Even certain house plants can cause a kitty to act a little weird. We found a website that lists every plant in the world known to be toxic to cats. As an extra added bonus, it lists all the plants that are definitely not toxic to cats, too. Maybe this information can help you. If you have one of the toxic plants in your house and you see evidence that it's been chewed, you might find the root of your problem right there. Even if you have toxic plants and they haven't been chewed yet, we'd recommend that you remove them from your house just to be on the safe side.

Siouxsie: Another possibility is that something in your home environment is affecting Pip's health. Just as with humans, cats are very sensitive to chemicals in the home. We recommend that if you have chemical air fresheners, whether they're of the stand-alone or plug-in variety, you stop using those. We also recommend that you use an unscented cat litter and avoid spraying chemical air sanitizers.

Thomas: If you recently painted or installed a new carpet, the odors from the formaldehyde in the carpet or the fumes from the paint could be making your little guy woozy and sick. If this is the case, keep your house well-ventilated and use an air purifier in the room where the painting was done or the carpet was installed.

Sinéad: Keep an eye on Pip and notice when the symptoms seem to get worse. If he seems to get worse after you polish the furniture or spray a fabric odor remover, or after he's been sleeping on a blanket you recently washed, you might consider eliminating the use of that cleaning product or dryer sheet in your house, and/or using unscented laundry detergents.

Siouxsie: Also, feed both kittens the most chemical-free foods you can find. These would be foods that don't have artificial colors (kibble with bright red and yellow pieces, for example, usually has artificial coloring) and preservatives. Basically, feed them the highest-quality and most natural cat foods you can afford.

Thomas: Adoption is psychologically difficult for cats; we are creatures of habit and we don't like big changes, even if they're good ones. You might be able to help both of your kittens with the transition by using Bach Rescue Remedy, a flower essence designed to help living creatures cope with physical and emotional trauma. This stuff is available in most health food stores in the US, and is easily ordered online or by mail if you can't find it in your area. When you get it, rub one drop into the skin on the inside of each kitten's ear. You'll probably find that they calm down visibly and might curl up and go to sleep for a while. Give each kitten one drop once a day for three days.

Sinéad: Burying or not burying feces has more to do with territorial marking than anything else. A cat that doesn't bury its feces is expressing dominance or a challenge to the status quo. I don't bury my poo, and I never have, because I'm the queen of all I survey.

Siouxsie: You are not! You're just too much of a snob to get your precious paws into the litterbox!

Sinéad: Mama! Siouxsie's being mean to me!

Thomas: Well, Christina, we hope we've been able to give you some insight on how to solve your mystery kitten issue. We do agree that if Pip isn't feeling noticeably healthier in the next week -- or if his symptoms get worse -- you should go back to the vet for further tests.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.