Can cats suffer from dementia????

[annasharl]

This might sound like an odd question but I'm becoming quite concerned about my cats behaviour.

She is 15yrs old and over the last few months has developed some odd behaviour. She has always been very much a house cat. She only ever left the house a couple of time a day and for very short spells. Now she constantly wants out and no sooner have we let her back in because she miaowing at the patio doors shes crying to get back out again. This goes on for much of the day.

It also seems that she forgets that she has been fed. About half an hour after shes had her food she starts crying for more. We havent reduced her food portions...its as if she forgets she has already eaten.

Previosly a well behaved cat, she's now doing things that she's not allowed to do like jumping on the kichen work surfaces and other things we had trained her not to do years ago.

Now I have just found her sleeping in her litter tray!!!??!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

I don't know - but in the months before one of my cats died (at 17) his behaviour was pretty odd. Did the food thing, slept in odd places etc. And then stopped cleaning himself at all - but that could have been an aches and pains thing rather than that he'd forgotten, IYSWIM.

Hmmm this sounds quite similar to Lucys (the cats) behaviour. I forgot to say too that last week i caught her eating her soiled cat litter. Bizarre behaviour indeed.

Yes, cats can become demented. Google it.

Having said that, my cat does everything you've mentioned, though he's an outdoors cat.The difference is he's always done this; it just seems like normal catty behaviour to us.