Feline Dementia

Add another human condition I had no idea cats could suffer from.  Acne, arthritis, allergies...my cats have had all of these things and we might soon be adding dementia to the list.

Molly, my middle child, is 15 years old. In the last couple of months, she's started howling at the top of her lungs, for no apparent reason. In the beginning, I would jump up to go see if she had gotten her head stuck between the rungs of a chair or if she had a bumble bee stuck in her mouth. Each time, she was casually sitting in the middle of the floor, staring at me. No distress. No blood. No limp.

It's a seemingly random behavior. She doesn't do it all the time, but usually when she does, it's late at night.  I wondered if she was seeing something outside, but she was never in front of the window or rushing back and forth from one window to the other.

My husband was sure the behavior was being caused by more than her generally surly disposition and he went looking for answers.

A few mouse clicks later, he sent me a link to a google search for feline dementia for which this was the first article.

Of the seven symptoms, Molly shows signs of 6 of them. Thankfully, the loss of litter box training isn't one of them.

We haven't taken her to the vet for an official diagnosis as some of these symptoms may also be related to her inflammatory bowel disease. Molly is generally irritable, but as the article suggests, we are watching to see if she's more irritable than what is normal for her.  Certainly many of the symptoms of dementia are signs of other illnesses and injuries, so it's important for kitty to see the veterinarian to rule out other medical conditions.

Cat Saved in House Fire

A cat was rescued from a house fire in Charleston, SC. His life was spared with a pet oxygen mask carried by local firefighters. I don't know if all fire departments have access to pet oxygen masks, but they should. The article appeared in The Post and Courier on Friday, August 3, 2012.

No Outdoor Cats, Example 6

A kitten in Arizona was found half-buried in concrete.

Sadly, one of the officer's responding to the call was quoted as chuckling and that "if it was up to him, he'd just throw dirt over (the cat)."

The kitten was freed from the concrete but died a few days later.

I've never understood the taking of a life in the name of religious beliefs.  How does a pro-life protestor rationalize killing a clinic doctor to make his point? How does a polygamy religious group justify killing an animal in support of their cause? Two wrongs will never make a right.  Fighting a law you don't want passed never means it's OK to break another law.

Emma

My husband claims Emma is "having bliss" everytime her tongue is hanging out like this.  Often, when you pet her, she purrs and sticks out her tongue.  Is it bliss, or is she just sassing the other cats?

Stray cat getting his 15 minutes...

While doing a live broadcast, a reporter ended up with a new...furry...co-host. Check it out.

Is your cat comfortable with the veterinarian?

When we moved to South Carolina, one of my biggest concerns was finding a veterinarian. One cat has kidney failure and one has inflammatory bowel disease and they both had just traveled halfway across the country in a u-haul. Happy cats, they were not.

Even without going cross country, none of the cats enjoy automobile travel and one of them actually hyperventilates for the entire ride. My biggest veterinary criteria is location. An office close to my home means less stress; for the cats and for me.

Apollo was the first one to visit the new vet. The veterinarian was gentle and understanding and Apollo was about as comfortable as he can be considering he was sitting on a metal table waiting for a shot.

Emma was next. She was seen by another of the veterinarians working in the office. Another successful visit.

And then it was Molly's turn. She saw a third vet and all hell broke loose. She was not a fan and, quite honestly, neither was my husband. The veterinarian was aggressive and heavy-handed. Molly hates to be touched and doesn't like strangers. She needs to be handled with kid gloves, not boxing gloves.

The next time one of the cats needed to go to the vet, we expressed our concerns to the receptionist. She noted in our file that we preferred not to work with vet #3 and assured us we could always request a specific veterinarian. Don't be afraid to ask for the care your cat needs. If there's a personality conflict, mention it to the office staff or ask to see a particular doctor when you make appointments.

If you're looking for the perfect veterinarian for your cat, the American Association of Feline Practitioners can help. Click cat friendly practice and enter your search criteria.

Visit the Catalyst Council and learn the questions you should ask the veterinary office before your cat becomes a patient.

Purina Cat Chow Real Stories Contest

Share the story of you and your feline companion with Purina Cat Chow and you could win $5,000! 

Did you rescue Fluffy from the side of the highway during a rain storm? Were you a cat hater until someone's cat won you over? Whatever your story - and we all have one - Purina wants to hear it.

In addition to the $5,000 grand prize, Purina will share a video version of your story on their Facebook page, YouTube and Twitter. Five runners-up will receive $1,000 and a year supply of cat food. Forty honorable mentions will receive $100 gift cards.

You have until July 31st to submit your story.  Gotta go...I have a story to write...