My Cat Is Acting Weird After Her Flea Bath

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: Last Saturday, I brought my cat in to a groomer for a lion cut. She’s had this done before twice and was fine. They also gave her a flea bath (although I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have fleas — she’s an indoor cat and I give her Advantage Multi every 4-6 weeks). She was fine Saturday and Sunday. But yesterday she started behaving oddly: she’s acting very... Read More

My cats are going lame and then dying. What’s happening?

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I live in the bush in South Africa and we take in a lot of abandoned cats. This year, I have had a few cats suddenly going lame in a paw overnight or even becoming totally paralyzed, then dying within 24 hours with renal failure-like symtoms if we dont get them to a vet in time. When we get the cats to the vet, they just get put down. What is causing this? We can’t take the heartbreak... Read More

My cat’s fur is all greasy and his breath smells bad. What’s going on?

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: About two weeks ago, my cat, who is about 4 years of age, started losing lots of weight, his breath started smelling horrible (like he just ate poop) and his fur turned greasy and smelly. When he sleeps with me at night on my pillow I’ll wake up to my hair smelling like his and being just as grease-filled. He hesitates when he tries to eat, and when he tries it seems to be hard for him chew,... Read More

My kitten has a sore mouth, and I’m really worried. Help!

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: This seems pretty urgent to me! I got a wee kitten about 4 months ago. He’s about 6 and a half months old now, but I noticed yesterday his gums were bleeding right at the line of where his teeth come out. I thought perhaps he’d bitten a stick and it had just left a little cut, but now he’s barely eating anything and it’s clear it’s painful for him when he does.... Read More

My elderly cat can’t keep any food down. Help!

Before we begin this week’s column, we’d like to give a giant Happy Birthday purr to our great-great auntie cat, Asti, who just turned 19 yesterday. That’s like 92 in human years! Many happy returns, Asti — and Mama sends lots of petties your way, too. Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I have a 19-year-old female cat who is unable to keep anything down that she is fed. Over the last year, we’ve tried... Read More

Why is my spayed 15-year-old cat acting like she’s in heat?

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: I have a cat that is 15 years old. I had her spayed 12 years ago. Right now, she has been in heat constantly for the past 2 months. She also has been urinating all over the house, mostly on my husband’s things. She has also been drinking a lot of water and is constantly hungry. She has never urinated on my husband’s things before. Any suggestions? ~Laurie Siouxsie: We’re pretty sure... Read More

My kitten is suddenly acting sleepy and sad. What’s going on?

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties: Hi I have four 6 mo. old kittens I adopted. Their mom was a feral cat who adopted my son. One of the kittens seems to be sad, sleeping all the time (as of today, and not cat napping). He is not himself: He’s not playing or eating (but he’s still drinking water). He is suddenly not social. I haven’t been able to catch him going potty yet, so I do not know if anything has changed... Read More