Something's changed - help!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

As most of you know, Tubby and Peanut have never been best of buddies where they sleep together all curled up and such. It's been more like they tolerate each other and basically ignore each other except for the occassional chase through the house. The only time they've ever seriously gotten into it with each other is when this one nasty neighborhood cat comes around and sits right outside the window and taunts them until they attack each other because they can't get to it. Then there is screaching and literally fur flying.

So, what's happened in about the past month or so is that Tubby has started sniffing/attacking poor Peanut. She'll be sitting all by herself, minding her own business, and he'll go up and start sniffing at her. Well, she doesn't like this so she'll swat at him, he doesn't like that and the next thing you know the fur is flying. Or one day Peanut was in the kitchen by herself. The rest of us, including Tubby, came out of the garage and Tubby just went right up to her and attacked her! I wasn't at all happy so being the bad mommie that I am, I spanked him and followed him around telling him he was a bad boy. He knows when he does something wrong, and he knew then that I wasn't happy. Well, he left Peanut alone for a whole 24 hours, then the sniffing started up again. It's like she can't do anything without him following her and sniffing and attacking her. He's never been like this before, and poor Peanut has licked the back of her front legs clean, the back of her back legs clean, and I noticed about 2 days ago that half her tummy is bare now too! She does this licking when she's under stress and has done the legs in the past, but has never done her tummy like this.

So, I'm wondering who to take to the vet? I just recently took Tubby and they said everything was fine and he was doing really good with his kidney problems. It's been almost a year since I took Peanut, but the vet said she was perfect then and there was no reason to bring her back unless she got sick or something. So I'm wondering....I know it's been mentioned here that if a cat has diabetes it will have a smell to it. I can't smell anything, but is it possible that something has changed with her that is giving off a real slight odor and that is why Tubby is always sniffing at her? She is acting completely normal except for a new habit of cowering when Tubby starts walking towards her (which I really dislike). She eats, sleeps, goes to the bathroom, everything just like normal. Is there some way other than spanking Tubby to get across to him the idea that he has to leave her alone again? Is Tubby just turning into a cranky old man? Or is something bothering Tubby and he's taking it out on Peanut, and if so what is his problem????? Do I need a kitty psychiatrist or a vet? I've got the feeling that if I take either one to the vet they're going to tell me they are just as healthy as can be so I'm really at a total loss as to what to do. But I really need to do something before Peanut is completely bald! :eek:

Any and all suggestions will be helpful, so please let me know anything you can think of, and thanks so much in advance!

[jennifert]

Oh dear, I really don't know much about cats as I haven't had one since I was a child but as soon as I started reading your post, I thought to myself, "something may be wrong with Peanut" Of course, I'm far from an expert and I pray that I'm wrong. From somewhere in the depths of my mind, I feel like I've heard of this behavior in cats when one is ill.

Again I hope I'm wrong. Perhaps I should just keep my big mouth shut but this struck a chord somewhere and I....
Anyway...let's see what others have to say....

[yorkster]

First of all: no spanking! :eek: That will not help, and probably just make the situation worse. Try a water squirt-bottle. That works well for me.

From what you have described, it really does not sound like Tubby is doing anything all that bad. Mostly he just sniffs at her, and then she reacts, then sometimes a fight breaks out? It sounds pretty 50-50 to me, if not even a bit more her. :(

I can understand that you would be upset when he just attacks her for no apparent reason.........that;s not good. But it sounds like it mostly starts with sniffing and has gone from there.

I would definately take both of them to the vet to find out IF there is anything going-on medically. Maybe you are right about her smelling funny because she is sick. :confused: She may also be less tolorant of him if she feels bad.

If this is something that is fairly new behavior, then it's likely that something is going on with Peanut, and Tubby is just being curious/concerned, etc.

I don't remember how old both your kittys are, so there could be an age thing involved too. I have a 8 yr. old cat, and a 1 yr. old. There are times whe the older kitty gets REALLY annoyed with the younger one, because he wants to play, play, play. They then get into it, but that is pretty normal cat stuff. :(

[wolflady]

T&P's mom, that's a tough one!! :eek: The drawbacks to these kinds of things is there can be so many reasons that could have started this behavior.
I would probably bring both of them to the vet for a check-up just to be sure and to rule out anything medical. I do think poor Peanut is stressed which is causing her to pull out her belly fur. One of my friend's cats did this when she was stressed.
The behavior of Tubby attacking Peanut sounds like a similar scenario I had between Scooter and Sam (a siamese cat I had in college). Sam would just attack Scooter for no reason, and it really stressed him out.
Has anything changed in your household at all (anything...no matter how small)?? Is Tubby trying to express his 'Top cat' status over Peanut? It almost does seem to me that he is displacing his frustrations on Peanut for some reason. Is there something frustrating him?
Depending on what the vet says medically, I would try to desensitize Tubby from Peanut. Using a squirt bottle is a good idea to get him to stop unwanted behaviors. Maybe keep the two separated for awhile, and only have them together under supervision. Reward Tubby for good behaviors (ie leaving Peanut alone), so he will associate the pleasant things with Peanut being in the room.
I do get the feeling that something is frustrating Tubby, and Peanut is his target for letting out these frustrations. If possible, find out what is bothering him and elimate the problem. Are there neighborhood cats that wander in the yard? Is there a visiting squirrel that he can't get at?? Observe him and let us know what happens!! Very curious indeed!
**hugs**

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by yorkster
First of all: no spanking! :eek: That will not help, and probably just make the situation worse. Try a water squirt-bottle. That works well for me.
I was thinking the same thing about the spanking, but was so frustrated at the time that I couldn't help myself. A squirt bottle is a great idea and will be tested out tonight. :)


I can understand that you would be upset when he just attacks her for no apparent reason.........that;s not good. But it sounds like it mostly starts with sniffing and has gone from there.
That's the way it seems and that's what made me think maybe there was something wrong with Peanut because Tubby never used to sniff at her like this before. And I know the sniffing starts it at least 1/2 the time. The other times it's because Tubby either just out and out attacks her or he stalks her and won't leave her alone (which he never used to do).


She may also be less tolorant of him if she feels bad.
I thought of that too. and then I also thought that maybe Tubby is feeling better than he has in a long time and he wants to play, or maybe, after all these years, he wants to snuggle with her and she wants nothing to do with it.


If this is something that is fairly new behavior, then it's likely that something is going on with Peanut, and Tubby is just being curious/concerned, etc.
You said it better than I could, yorkster. This was my first thought that Peanut had something wrong with her and Tubby was worried about her.

[QUOTE]I don't remember how old both your kittys are, so there could be an age thing involved too. I have a 8 yr. old cat, and a 1 yr. old. There are times whe the older kitty gets REALLY annoyed with the younger one, because he wants to play, play, play. They then get into it, but that is pretty normal cat stuff. :( /QUOTE]
I guess I ruled out the age thing because they've been together for so long. Tubby is about to turn 16 and Peanut will turn 14 a little later this spring. They've been together for more than 13 years now, with nothing of this sort of behavior ever in existence and that's why I'm so confused about it.

I do believe Peanut will be making a trip to the vet this weekend. I had already mentioned that to Terry and he thought I was goofy because she's acting so normal otherwise. But I know kitties can hide things very well, so I'm going to take her in just because something has to be done.

Thanks yorkster for your suggestions. :)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by wolflady
Has anything changed in your household at all (anything...no matter how small)??
I've tried to think of anything, no matter how small, and the only thing that really changed is we bought a motorhome that we can't store at our house so maybe we're gone a little bit more, but that's not unusual, really. And Tubby has always been good about change and it never really bothered him much (I've moved a lot since I first got him) Oh, maybe that's the problem. Maybe he's telling me it's time to move again! ;)



Is Tubby trying to express his 'Top cat' status over Peanut?
I've thought of that because Tubby has always been top cat, and when he wasn't feeling good, it did seem like Peanut was starting to take over. But then I started giving him his medicine and he started feeling better and I thought everything was back to normal. :confused:


It almost does seem to me that he is displacing his frustrations on Peanut for some reason. Is there something frustrating him?
I wish I knew!!! The outside cats haven't come around lately, especially the nasty one, so I kind of ruled that out. There was a bunny right out the window the other day (which reminds me that I took pictures for everybody here) but I can't see as how a bunny would frustrate Tubby, especially since they've really come and gone over the years, without Tubby acting like this.


Depending on what the vet says medically, I would try to desensitize Tubby from Peanut. Using a squirt bottle is a good idea to get him to stop unwanted behaviors. Maybe keep the two separated for awhile, and only have them together under supervision.
I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all or anything like that, but I thought of that too. Separating them would be kind of hard, but could be done....if me and their daddy could handle it. :rolleyes: They've been together and had each other around for so many years that I would feel terrible if I had to separate them. I think they would really miss each other, but maybe that's what Tubby needs so he can appreciate his little sister.


Reward Tubby for good behaviors (ie leaving Peanut alone), so he will associate the pleasant things with Peanut being in the room.
Tried that, but will keep doing it because I know positive reinforcement is much more powerful than negative. I felt so guilty after I spanked him that I felt it was a good thing I never had kids because I'd never be able to discipline them. :rolleyes:


I do get the feeling that something is frustrating Tubby, and Peanut is his target for letting out these frustrations. If possible, find out what is bothering him and elimate the problem. Are there neighborhood cats that wander in the yard? Is there a visiting squirrel that he can't get at?? Observe him and let us know what happens!! Very curious indeed!
**hugs** [/B]

Thanks for all the suggestions Karen. For me it was a toss up between something wrong with Peanut and something frustrating Tubby. I still think I'm going to start with taking Peanut to the vet even though that will be the most stressful for her and her daddy. But it's better to have a little stress now than a whole lotta stress later when we find out something is seriously wrong with either one of them.

Thanks for the hugs too. I've needed them lately with all this going on. :confused: :)

[wayne0214]

T&P Mom, Since tubby is sniffing Peanut before this behavior begins, it could be that Peanut is excreting a slightly different odor that Tubby associates with another cat. I know that cats often identify other cats by smell and not by sight. And since both of them are getting up in cat years, there may be a "lapse" of memory with Tubby, so that he doesn't remember Peanut's smell. You might try changing their diet. Or perhaps this is something that you have recently done and it is changing their behavior by changing their scent. Just a few thoughts from a cat-owner novice.

..........wayne

[yorkster]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
[B]
I guess I ruled out the age thing because they've been together for so long. Tubby is about to turn 16 and Peanut will turn 14 a little later this spring. They've been together for more than 13 years now, with nothing of this sort of behavior ever in existence and that's why I'm so confused about it.


Wow, T&P'sMom. Your kitties are 16 and 14? If they have been together all these years with no prblems going on like this before, there must SOMETHING that is causing the behavior.
I just get the feeling more and more that maybe Peanut is not feeling good for some reason.

Maybe this is a good thing that your kitties are acting strangley with each other, because otherwise you would not know Peanut might be sick (since she is otherwise acting normal) That is one way to look at it anyway. My Liza (RB) had kidney cancer, and I had no idea she was sick until it was too late because she was always a quiet kitty that kept to herself most of the time.

Tubby & Peanut being togther for so many years, there must be a pretty strong bond there, even if they weren't super close with each other.

Wayne brought up a good point too about the smell. I know when Kedi came back from the vet a couple months ago, Wylie was actually kind of MAD at him! I found out later it was because he smelled 'funny' to Wylie- he did not know it was his brother (and these 2 boys are super lovey with each other).
I remember getting upset with Wylie too because he was actually mean to Kedi, and I had just brought him home after heart problems, and the vet had said "keep him calm and don't let him get stressed or upset."

Well, I've gone on alot here.
Good luck at the vet, and keep us posted!

[Nomilynn]

Wow.. this sounds like a very stressful situation! As for the smell thing, I have read that if you spray a bit of perfume or something like that on both cats, they will smell like each other and therefore associate with each other better. That might be one option.

But like many have said already, it seems strange that this is a "sudden" thing. I think going to the vet is a great idea, especially, like you said, because cats don't let it be known that they are sick until they are REALLY sick.

Also, senior cats do go a bit "loopy." They do tend to forget things. For example, my parent's 17 year old seems to forget where he is, and goes into the kitchen and howls until someone calls his name and kind of "reminds" him he is where he is supposed to be. It could be that Tubby is just a bit of a grumpy old man ;)

Another thing you might try (depending on how you feel about this) is an anti-depressant used for inter-cat agression. I had Bassett on an AD because she was peeing where she shouldn't, but the vet also said that it was used to stop aggression between cats. It's called Apo-Amitriptyline. You might ask your vet about it, depending on whether everyone is healthy and stuff.

Regardless, please let us all know how things work out. We are all hoping and praying for a solution here!

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

OHHHH Debbie,,,,,,,,
I missed this post untill just now........
Sorry I have no advice but I am sending hugs your way!!!!!!:)
Keep us posted on how everyone is doing and please ....
***GIVE TUBBY AND PEANUT A BIIIIIG BEAR HUG FOR ME **
Good luck...........

[Randi]

I'm afraid I can't give any advice on this, but I really hope the situation will brighten!!!

A big hug and purrs to you!

Fister & his mum :)

[purrley]

I believe that smells and the age of the cats is the key factor here and definately Peanut is very stressed out. The only thing I can think of is to separate them temporarily and see if anything improves. If Peanut continues to lick herself raw then you'll have to think of something else. I would call a vet and ask for their advice and by all means NEVER, NEVER hit a cat!!! It will only make him afraid of YOU not alter the behavior.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Thanks everyone, for all the advice and words of encouragement. Tubby was good last night, until about 2:00 am, then he started stalking Peanut again - while I'm trying to sleep. :rolleyes: It's kind of hard trying to protect her while I'm trying to get some sleep too. I thought I had a squirt bottle at home, but turns out I don't so I couldn't test that out.

Anyway, I have an appointment on Saturday for Peanut. When I called, the vets were all with patients and the girl on the phone sounded rushed, so I figured I would just wait and tell them the whole story when I get there.

Nomilyn wrote "Also, senior cats do go a bit "loopy." They do tend to forget things. For example, my parent's 17 year old seems to forget where he is, and goes into the kitchen and howls until someone calls his name and kind of "reminds" him he is where he is supposed to be. It could be that Tubby is just a bit of a grumpy old man"

Tubby does that same thing where he yowls like he's lost, then as soon as I call him he comes running. Is it possible Tubby has a kitty form of Alzheimers? Kind of makes me laugh because it would explain alot of his behaviour lately, but then again it's not funny either. Terry's dad has Alzheimers and it's really a sad thing.

Well, first things first and that's taking Peanut to the vet on Saturday, so I'll let you all know what the results are.

Thanks again for all the support. It really helps.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I didn't get to read this post until now. I don't have any advice but I sure hope that there is nothing wrong with Peanut or Tubby. Hopefully the vet will be able to tell you what might be causing this. Good luck. Please keep us posted.

[Gio]

Can't offer much advice I'm afraid since nothing like this happened with mine. They have the odd fight (the two females are not overly keen on each other) but nothing serious at all.

Hope you can solve this soon.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Send Ernie over, Chuck. :D LOL

Actually, there might have been a break through last night. I woke up to hear the sounds of them going at it in the other room - some yowling and screeching and running back and forth. But when I yelled to Tubby to stop it (sometimes that works so I don't actually have to get out of bed) Peanut got up and walked out of the bedroom! :eek: She was probably going to see what all the action was about, and here I thought she was the action! So maybe there is another cat or other critter coming around at night that is aggrivating Tubby and he's taking it out on her. Seems most of his picking on her happens at night when we're sleeping (not all, but most) so this is a great possibility. The only other time they have ever really gotten into it, seriously, is when the nasty neighbor cat comes around. We haven't seen him around for about a year now, but maybe some different cat is coming around, and he only comes at night. Another reason I didn't think it was a cat was because we have bunnies hanging out, and when the nasty neighbor cat was around there were no bunnies (don't even want to think about why not). But maybe this is a well fed cat that just likes to irritate Tubby. :confused: Anyway, I'm still taking Peanut to the vet this Saturday, but I will now be putting newspapers over the windows at night so even if the cat comes around, he can't see in and Tubby can't see out. Also, the only other time I've noticed Peanut licking her legs bare it was because this nasty neighbor cat was coming around. After he stopped coming around (don't know why), all her hair grew back.

I already have a thing that is supposed to make a noise that cats don't like to keep outside cats away from our windows, but maybe the batteries are dead, or maybe the cat just ignores it like Tubby does. :D Any other ideas on what I can do to keep them away? There is also this powder type stuff that can be spread around, I think I found it at a flower shop or something, which supposedly has an odor cats don't like, but that doesn't work that well. I know they also have a thing that will squirt water when it senses motion, which I think would work great, but it's a little expensive and seems like a lot of work to get it hooked up to the hose and all.

Anyway, I thought I'd let you all know I just may have found the problem and I'll keep you updated on how things go at the vet and with the windows covered.

Oh, and also, in case anyone was wondering, the reason I seem to be all of a sudden overly concerned about this is because we are going on vacation next week and I didn't want to leave Tubby and Peanut home alone (with a pet sitter once a day) if he was beating her up all the time. So I'm really hoping either the vet or covering the windows provides some kind of answers.

Thanks again for all you suggestions and support! :) I'm feeling a little better today about it all with the possible breakthrough last night.

[wolflady]

T&P's mom, what a breakthrough, huh? :D I really did get the impression by what you described that Tubby was acting out his frustrations on Peanut. If this seems to be ocurring when other cats are around (outside), that very well be the cause of the displacement! Wierd, huh?!!
Can you try and spray some citrus smelling aromas around your house to keep the other cats away? Most don't like the smell of citrus, and I'm sure you can get some sprays at the Pet Store.
Covering the windows while you are away might be a good idea, just for safe measure...and leave a radio on, to distract from any noise that may come from the outside!
How's Peanut? Do let us know what happens at the Vet. My guess is that she is really stressed out from being the anger displacement target! Poor sweet girl!! Give them both extra lovins' for me!!
**hugs**

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by wolflady
T&P's mom, what a breakthrough, huh? :D I really did get the impression by what you described that Tubby was acting out his frustrations on Peanut. If this seems to be ocurring when other cats are around (outside), that very well be the cause of the displacement! Wierd, huh?!!
Can you try and spray some citrus smelling aromas around your house to keep the other cats away? Most don't like the smell of citrus, and I'm sure you can get some sprays at the Pet Store.
Covering the windows while you are away might be a good idea, just for safe measure...and leave a radio on, to distract from any noise that may come from the outside!
How's Peanut? Do let us know what happens at the Vet. My guess is that she is really stressed out from being the anger displacement target! Poor sweet girl!! Give them both extra lovins' for me!!
**hugs**

Leaving the radio on is a good idea to keep them distracted. I'll have to remember that before we leave. And I'm going to have to do some checking on things to keep the cats away, like the citrus things. I've spent so much money on various things to keep them away and nothing seems to be working permanently, but getting poor little Peanut unstressed is worth it all, and I'll spend more to try again. :)

[wolflady]

Awww...good luck!! I sure hope you find something that helps!! I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for ya!!
**hugs**
Karen

P.S. Give Peanut and Tubby some scritches and treats for me!! :D

[yorkster]

There is a spray I have seen at Petsmart to keep cats & dogs (outdoors) away. Also, what about one of those sonic animal-repellants? I have seen them in the R.C. Steele catalog. I believe they have a web page.

[Frostfrog]

Hello, PeanutandTubby'sMom -

I don't have the answer to your problem, but I had a question I wanted to ask you but I see you do not have the Personal Message feature activated. Anyway, you have probably observed that I live in Alaska. I have a 16 year-old daughter who is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and not too long ago we were talking and I asked what special thing she would like to do this summer. "Go to Chicago and see a Cub's game," she answered. I was just about to dismiss the notion as impractical when suddenly it struck me that life is short and she will soon follow her older brothers and sister into adulthood and so I said, "Okay, we'll do it."

My question concerns that trip. If you would be agreeable to discussing my question with me, you could PM me, or send me an email at [email protected]. (that's right, frostfrogg with two g's). I might note that the yahoo address is not my main email address but one that I use only with people I meet on the net. Anyone can get a free yahoo, hotmail, etc. etc. address and in this way protect their main address.

So - if you would be willing, I would appreciate the opportunity to converse with you.

For the record, four cats live with me and my family, as does one dog. She was bred to race the Iditarod, but she has a very sensitive soul and while she had the strength and stamina to pull, upon being scolded she would sulk for days. Sled dogs must be able to take a scolding and keep on wagging so one day when I was visiting the Arctic Coast village where she lived, the musher who owned her told me she was a good dog but not so good for the Iditarod and would I like to have her. So I put her in the back seat of my airplane and flew her home. That was in 1992.

I will not write about the cats here, for if I get started I will not stop but will go on and on, for that is how much I love them and that is enough to know for now.

[Former User]

I didn't reply sooner because I coulnd't give any advice. Just wanted to say now that we keep our fingers and C & K their paws crossed that Peanut will be fine and stops licking her fur off. I hope covering your windows will help too. And as Karen said, all citrus fruits are supposed to keep cats away. Have to say it works here, when I peel an orange, Casper and Kitty won't come near me!
Good luck Debbie, and keep us posted! And have a nice vacation!
And once again, congratulations on Peanut's day yesterday! She's such a sweetheart!

[yorkster]

I just now realised that PEANUT was COTD yesterday! :)

She is beautiful- has that sweet MC face :cool:
Yay for Peanut!
Hope everything goes well at the vet Saturday.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Thanks everybody. Just wanted to give a little update. I covered the windows last night, and I believe everyone slept through the night - I sure did. :) I only woke up once to find Peanut on top of me, well, more like half on and half off. I must have rolled over, not realizing she was on me, and she didn't bother repositioning herself, so her front part was on the bed and her back part was still on me. :rolleyes: Tubby did start stalking her this morning, but not as bad as usual, and as soon as Terry headed for the kitchen Tubby forgot all about Peanut 'cause I'm sure he was thinking "Milk, milk, oh boy daddy's going to give me some milk!" :rolleyes: So, this might just be the ticket. I'll have to go to Petco and check out some citrus spray or something, although I will be covering the windows everynight. I really hate to do it while we're gone because I know the snots really like looking out them and it would definitely provide entertainment while we're gone, but Peanut doesn't need all that kind of entertainment, so they'll be covered and Tubby will just have to deal with it. Maybe I can leave a chair by one of the windows that isn't conducive to the outside cat or something.

Anyway, night one went well, so hopefully this is the solution. I'll let you all know what the vet says, and keep everyone posted with any updates.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and support. I think it was Wayne that mentioned once that once you post something, the kitties stop doing the offending behaviour. Seems to work! :D

[yorkster]

Tubby is quite active for being 16 yrs. old! :)
I hope my cats will be too.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by yorkster
Tubby is quite active for being 16 yrs. old! :)
I hope my cats will be too.

Yes, he really is, although it's usually when I'm home, which means he sleeps most of the day while I'm at work. :D But, yes, he really hasn't slowed down a whole lot over the years. Maybe a little when he first started getting sick, before I realized he was sick. But now that he gets his medicine everyday, he really is quite active - sometimes too active. :rolleyes: He does tire out quickly though when I'm playing with him. His favorite toy is a cat dancer which has a little cardboard thing on the end of a stiff wire. All I have to do is hold it and it bounces around as he bats at it. A kitten would probabaly be jumping around and really getting crazy with this thing. Tubby lays on his back and bats at it, quite vigorously, but still on his back. :rolleyes: And he doesn't jump on things like he used to. It used to be a problem with him climbing all over the counter tops, but he hasn't tried to jump that high in years now, and he has his special box to help in jump into bed. But other than that, he's still the big ol' trouble maker he's always been. And knock on wood he stays that way for quite a while yet. :)

[AmberLee]

Oh, Cat Dancer! Sassy adored his Cat Dancer toy. Cassy and Livvy are mildly amused by it and we play with it occasionally, but Sassy would go mad for it. Such memories...

[AvaJoy]

Sounds like the mystery may be solved! Now lets hope the vet gives a clean bill of health, and you will be able to enjoy your vacation without worrying too awfully much about Peanut & Tubby's antics back at home! :cool:

Congrats on Peanut's special day, too! I haven't been reading or posting for awhile, but do manage to check out the pets faithfully each day, and THOUGHT she might be one of our very own . . . Yay!!!:D

Lily is about Tubby's age, and lately she also has these yowling bouts where she seems confused . . . feline dementia? Pretty upsetting as these episodes are becoming more frequent, but she snaps out of it after a few blood-curdling hoowwwlllls that are alarmingly loud. The very first time she did this, I came running in a panic, expecting to find her in some dreadfully AWFUL predicament . . . :eek: I was relieved (but baffled) to find her calmly sitting upright . . . :confused: She is also finding it harder to jump up onto the bed, and has to scramble with her hind legs to push herself all the way up and over. I will have to look for a step for her so she doesn't have to struggle . . . but it IS just about the only excercise she gets, so that is why I haven't bought one . . . instead I have 2 floor pillows piled up bedside which give her a little more boost, and they are softer when she jumps down off the bed, too.

[Former User]

How was the vet visit?

[AmberLee]

Info found: I just came across this article on behavior changes in aging cats (http://www.PetEducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1310&articleid=610) at the Dr.s Foster and Johnson website. Not sure if it's a lot of help, but it might give you questions to ask your vet when you see him/her next...

Good luck!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I don't have much time since things have been crazy here all weekend and up until we leave for vacation, but I wanted to let you know Peanut's results from the vet.

First of all, she was such a good girl. She panicked when I put her in her carrier, but I was rushed and tried to soothe her as best I could as I ran out the door with her. By the time we got to the vet and in a room, she was calmed down and let the vet do what he had to do. By the end of the visit she was so calm she was starting to sniff around a little instead of cowering in my arms. The ride home was uneventful and when I opened her carrier, she came out but didn't immediately go and hide. That is the best she's ever been with the carrier. I was surprised and pleased and was thinking maybe she knew we were only trying to help so she calmed down.

Anyway, I told the vet the whole story, he checked her out and checked her history and said his opinion was she had allergies. He said it's likely she's had allergies all along, they just weren't bad enough for me to notice. Then since the pollen counts are so extremely high this year, it really brought them out and made it noticible. As for Tubby sniffing at her, he said that when cats have allergies, their skin tends to produce more oil, which of course gets trapped on their fur and tends to get rancid since they can't keep up in the cleaning department. He said this is probably what Tubby was noticing when he was sniffing at her. Allergies would explain the tummy licked clean and the spot on her ear that mysteriously appeared a few weeks ago - which wasn't fleas, btw. And other than that he said she's in excellent health for her age. :D

So, his solution was to give her cortisone pills, one a day for ten days, then 1/2 one for 7 days, then hopefully tapering off to 1/2 one every other day until the season changes or the pollen counts go down, or the hair starts growing back and she starts feeling better.

So between blocking the windows so they can't see any outside cats (until I find some sort of repellant) and controlling her allergies, she should be good as new again! :)

Terry had to tease me that both my "kids" take after me. Tubby has to take Pecid like I do, and Peanut has to take allergy medicine like I do. Like mother like child, right? :rolleyes:

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by AmberLee
Info found: I just came across this article on behavior changes in aging cats (http://www.PetEducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1310&articleid=610) at the Dr.s Foster and Johnson website. Not sure if it's a lot of help, but it might give you questions to ask your vet when you see him/her next...

Good luck!

Thanks Amberlee! Looks like a great site, but I won't have time to really check it out until we get back. Then it will be very intereting to find out that everything my two do these days is because they're getting old. ;)

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

So glad to hear that it is nothing serious!!!! Hope you guys have a good vacation!!!:) **please give Peanut a BIG HUG for being such a good girl at the vet, and give em both a hug for just bein Tubby and Peanut**

[AvaJoy]

What good news, and I'm sure you are both relieved and can now enjoy your vacation! The meds should help with her allergies, and I'm so glad it wasn't anything more serious.

Thanks for the link, Amberlee! Since I'm going through behavioral changes with Lily I was very interested in what the website had to say about aging felines . . . sure put my mind at ease, and was quite informative!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Another small little update. Terry was working out of the home office yesterday and twice he noticed Tubby licking Peanut's head. One time she let him lick it a few times, then put her head back down and went to sleep again. The second time she let him lick it two or three times - then swatted him away. :rolleyes: But what that tells me is that she is feeling better and is more tolerant of his sniffing - even to the point of letting him clean her head a bit! Oh, what a good brother he is. ;) It's funny but I can definitely relate since I have allergies myself. If I don't take my Claritin, forget, everybody just stay away and leave me alone. But with the Claritin life is good and I can cope with so much more. :) And so far anyway, she takes her pill so good. Doesn't like it, but lets me open her mouth and just pop it in. Sooooo much easier than Tubby. :rolleyes: So the good news continues, and yes, we it definitely relieves my anxieties about leaving them alone for a few days.

Thanks for all the well wishes and nice comments. See you all in a few days! :)

[Former User]

Aww, so sweet from Tubby! And I'm glad Peanut allowed him to do that.
Have a good time Debbie!:)

[wolflady]

I'm so happy to hear things are going better! Allergies!! Who woulda thunk?? LOL LOL Do you know what she's allergic to? Is it food or something in the air?
What a good pill taker she is! What a relief, huh?? **hugs**

Have a good time! :D

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad that there was nothing seriously wrong with Peanut. All three of my cats have food allergies. They are allergic to fish. Now you can have fun on your vacation with no worries.

[Gio]

I'm pleased that you have found out what's causing the trouble and that there is nothing seriously wrong with Peanut.

Now enjoy your holiday, we are all waiting to hear from you when you get back.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Well, the boss left for the day so I thought I'd post a quick update. Everything is much calmer around our house these days, and Peanut's hair is growing back on her tummy and her legs. We have a pet sitter come in while we're away, and she made sure to give Peanut her allergy pills everyday as prescribed, and I would say that it seems to be working! The pet sitter also brushes them more than I do to give them attention, and between the allergy pills working, and the brushing, Peanut is so nice and soft and fluffy, and still the little sweetheart she's always been. Tubby has, for the most part, stopped sniffing at her, but I did notice him up on the top of the couch with her last night, real near to her, and he had that guilty look on his face so I don't know if he was sniffing her or licking her. Either way she didn't seem to mind so I let Tubby be.

Terry has also seen a strange black and white cat in the back yard since we've been back, so maybe that's who was coming around and causing some of the stress. I put paper over the windows at night so my two can't see out, and I take some of it down during the day so they don't get too bored.

So I'm glad to report that life in Tubby and Peanut land is getting back to normal and it would be nice if life in Debbie land would get that way too. :rolleyes: To make a long story short, we are a small electrical contractor with 6 guys, my boss and me. Our lead foreman was on vacation last week, I was on vacation for most of the week, our second foreman found out he has cancer and has to go for chemo and radiation so he only works when he's feeling ok, and to top it all off, my boss ran over his foot and is hobbling around on crutches! All this while our two biggest jobs are really ramping up and everything would be hectic without the added vacations, illnesses and injuries. :rolleyes:

So I want to say thanks to everyone for all your suggestions and support on the Tubby and Peanut situation, and I might be a bit scarce for awhile, but I'll pop in as often as possible. I'll give Tubby and Peanut extra hugs, smoochies and scritchies from you all tonight, just because it's good to be back! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad that Peanut is doing so well and that the Tubby and Peanut situation is finally under control. I sure hope your work situation becomes more normal too. Thanks for the update.http://bestsmileys.com/cats/catbouncy.gif

[Nomilynn]

I'm so happy things have calmed down! Hooray! :D

[wolflady]

Yes, what a relief, huh??!! I'm glad precious Peanut's fur is growing back. It looks so sad when all their hair is falling out! :eek: Bless their little hearts:D

Lots of hugs from me and purrs and headbumpies from my boys are on the way!:D

[Lachesis]

Yeah Im so glad everything is back to normal!!