She's not acting like herself for a few days now; three or four days ago, she started sleeping all day in her hiding space behind the couch in the living room where she's usually just going when she's really scared (at New Year's during the fireworks, or when I bring out the vacuum cleaner). Now she's in that corner for days, but first I thought it may have been due to the heat as it's a little cooler in that corner. She's eating, but not as good as usual, and she's not begging for treats which is really unusual. Thought it may be the heat as well, but yesterday in the morning when I was stroking her back, she pawed at me twice and made protest sounds, as if she was in pain, so off to the vet we went. Unfortunately, we tried first drawing blood from her (as her last blood work is already three years ago). She fought terribly and it wasn't possible to get a blood sample. We decided not to sedate her only to get the blood sample as she doesn't cope very well with anaesthesia. At that point, she was furious and no longer cooperative so all the vet did was feeling her spine; she said she couldn't find any swellings there. She recommended pain medication for the time being, and said she may be dealing with arthritis (she has that in her shoulders also).
Yesterday in the evening, she started yowling, and that was the moment it hit me she may be sicker than we thought. She yowled when she left the litterbox, and when she jumped down the kitchen counter where she had been eating. It occured to me that at that point, I was editing pictures for at least and hour and she wasn't with me to "help" me. You know how addicted she usually is with the computer, and how she loves pawing at the cursor! Later she came onto the computer table, but just watched me working, it was only for two or three times that she pawed carefully at the monitor. Needless to say, I was really alarmed when I saw that. Also, I noticed her tail was twitching all the time. She can walk and climb, and she can also lift her tail, but this tail twichting thing is clearly a sign of discomfort, or pain.
When I went to bed, she first started yowling again and scratching the door to the laundry room (her way to get my attention at night because of the noise), but later she came into my bed. When Lily approached, it turned out Luna cannot tolerate her anywhere near her, she was hissing and growling terribly. I think this is because she feels she cannot defend herself. Luna's and Lily's arguments went on all night, I think some time during the night she left and and sought refuge in the living room.
This morning, she came back into my bedroom and even into my bed, and she was happy to get her breakfast. However, she left a rest of her food, but ate it later. I gave her her pain med, and now she's sleeping all day, of course in her "hiding space" again.She came out for a moment when I asked her if she wanted vitamin paste which she happily ate, but then disappeared behind the couch again.
To make things even worse, now Lily is freaking out. The entire situation is confusing her, and this morning, she started growling and hissing at Luna. She seems to be afraid of her, I think she doesn't recognize her because of her changed behavior. Could also be that her scent has changed from the pain meds, because in the past, Lily was showing the same behavior towards her after Luna had been sedated at the vet's. Always took two days until things got back to normal. But if it's the pain med, this would be even worse because Luna will have to take that for a while.
I really hate this situation, I'm so worried and I barely slept. Luna is my baby, I hate to see her ill, and not to know what's really wrong with her! I'm so worried this is something serious, she's 12. And Lily is one unhappy kitty by now, spending all day on the cabinet. I'm so frustrated and worried!
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Originally Posted by momcat
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