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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

What's wrong with my cat?

33 replies

BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 16:25

My poor little guy Sad

Adopted cat from rescue last year. He is 8years old, siamese. Had a hard life, bullied by other pets in house pre adoption. He is lovely. So affectionate, loving and gentle.

I lost my dad recently so went to mum's for Christmas as did not want her on her own. It was short notice but we found a well recommended local cattery and the woman has four siamese of her own so knows the breed. It was for ten days.

When he came back he was very stressed. Bad tummy, lost voice, lost some weight. He seems more settled now but he is still having tummy issues (have read siamese have delicate constitutions when upset). He has had diarrhoea and vomiting, sometimes up to 3 times a day. We feed him Waitrose own wet food (high meat %) and Wellbeloved dry food as is his normal diet. The vet has tested for diabetes, kidneys, liver - came back clear. He has been wormed and had a course of antibiotics. We tried vet food for delicate stomach. He often eats grass which induces vomiting and there is usually grass in his poo.

ATM on vet advice we are feeding him chicken and white fish only which seems to calm his tum down but it is £££££ and really isn't the root of the problem.

He is otherwise happy, hungry and active. No other signs of stress or illness. So WTF, cat?

OP posts:
shaska · 08/02/2015 18:29

Is it perhaps some sort of food intolerance? Doesn't sound so much like stress if he's otherwise healthy and happy.

I'd try introducing a wet or dry food which has no grain at all - a small amount at first. See how he goes, it might be a bit of trial and error.

Cozie will no doubt be along shortly, she knows far more about siamese than I do.

cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 18:31

How long had you had him before he went into the cattery?

cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 18:33

That was coincidence - really! Grin

shaska · 08/02/2015 18:35

hahahaha!

stareatthetvscreen · 08/02/2015 18:38

i too have a meezer they do get v upset at being left which shows in their health not their demeanour if that makes sense

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:00

Hello and thanks for replies! I had him for 5 months prior to cattery - I thought initially it was a bug he'd picked up while there but he is otherwise fine. Wondering if she significantly changed his diet during his stay as he was fine on this foid before. I'd like to try a different diet but don't want the trial and error to stress him out.

Any good suggestions for food? He is THRILLED by the new chicken diet Grin

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Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:02

Also the fact that he is eating so much grass is significant, no?

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cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 19:04

Is it eaten outside or does he have an indoor grass source?

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:12

It's outside, from our (overgrown) garden. I thought he was eating it to rid himself of his stomach contents.

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EmilyCHN · 08/02/2015 19:16

Could you consider asking your vet to run a faecal sample to check for bugs/parasites he may have picked up in the cattery? Even with the best hygiene it's possible for cats to contract these things, and along with a change in routine and the stress that a sensitive chap has dealt with, might have caused immunosuppression leading to these upsets. Would also ask vet to perform a FPLI/TLI/folate and cobalamin screen which can indicate problems with digestion and the pancreas. Failing that exclusion diets to rule out allergies and abdominal
Imaging (xray and ultrasound) would be next step. Sorry if sounds very technical but have a search online (the international cat care website is excellent). Good luck. Hope he gets better soon. I love siameses!

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:22

I love siameses too. His ears are so big that when he shakes his head it sounds like a flock of birds taking off.
I think stool tests are next step, I just assumed that any bug would have been resolved by the antibiotics.

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Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:22

Also thank you for your help!

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cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 19:25

OK - he was living in a multi-animal household, then into a rescue, goes outside and he's just been to a cattery. Lots of risk factors there for picking up nasties which the vet may not have tested for.

My initial thought is, though, that appearances to the contrary, he's still stressed and that this could be leading to physical disturbance/immunosuppression. In my experience, many Siamese can be real sensitive creatures once they've bonded - you're best not to look sideways at them or they'll take it as a reproof. I would bet that he bonded with you and then thought (back in a cattery - however excellent) that he was abandoned again.

Sorry - have to go away for a bit. Have you noticed any signs of 'best behaviour' in him?

Back later.

Jux · 08/02/2015 19:38

Oh poor soul. Can you get fish off-cuts from a wet fish shop? They tend to be cheaper.

I have no specialist knowledge, am just a life long cat owner minion. It can take them a while to get over a big change like yours has had - two in relatively quick succession - but this length of time seems excessive.

Hope he gets better soon.

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 19:48

Yeah, he is a sensitive little thing. He was depressed and unsettlef at the shelter and had been there for three months before I took him home.

I'd be happy to change his diet but may go back to vet for more tests. The vet stresses him too, the last time we were there he climbed UP me and wouldn't get down.

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cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 20:07

Panic over.

Three months in a shelter? Ouch. None of my more recent boys could have coped with that - in fact I've taken them on in-country trips with me to avoid catteries and they've been fine as long as I'm there.

I'd be thinking at the back of my mind about a return to the vet for full tests but I'd initially be reinforcing his safety and comfort in your own house to be going along with. I assume he sleeps in bed with you but I'd be ensuring eg adequate littering provision inside the house so that he doesn't have to go out if he doesn't want to (and keep him in at night), nosh to suit and as close to a calm and set routine as you can manage. I'd see how that goes first.

There's a fine line to be drawn between recognizing their extreme sensitivity and not allowing yourself to be played. (They're bright and they can do that also.) Seniorboy came to me as a vet phobic - one visit, the vet tried to take some blood and he ended up up the back of She Who Must Be Obeyed the Chief Vet Nurse's clinic tunic - so I know what you mean. I just treat it as 'business' these days. I'm brusque with him to the point of unfeelingness - no love words or cozening - but he's becoming more and more used to it because he goes and then he comes home again! Just ignore vet-stress: if he has to go then that's it. (At vet prices, you're not going there for a fun afternoon out!)

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 20:13

Haha. When puss had his blood tests I remember waiting in the waiting room and the vet coming over to me with bloodied hands saying,
"Your cat is very uncoperative. "

I will stick with chicken and white fish and S-L-O-W-L-Y reintroduce xat foix back into his diet. He is curled up in bed with me now, next to my head obvs.

I don't know about allergies but he projectile vomits Dreamies so I've always assumed a lactose intolerance.

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Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 08/02/2015 20:14

'xat foix'??? CAT FOOD, OBVS

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cozietoesie · 08/02/2015 20:22

Always best to assume lactose intolerance. Seniorboy doesn't have that, unusually, but it's better not to allow them milk products even if they're tolerant - it's not an ideal food.

How many trays does he have inside? (And have you ever seen other cats outside? Siamese can be very intolerant of other cats and if he was in a rescue and more recently a cattery, those could reinforce negative thoughts.)

Jux · 09/02/2015 08:16

There's a kitten food by ?Wellbeloved? (Can't remember exactly sorry) which is for very young kittens - those who are a little too young to have left their mums.

We had a kitten who was only 7 weeks when we got her and the normal kitten food was too rich for her - I shall never forget her farts Grin nor, indeed, her poos/diarrhoea. The wellbeloved stuff was fine for her. It's like biscuits but softer. Expensive, though. That may be a stepping stone between fish/chicken and his normal food.

I'll try to find it online.

wobblebobblehat · 09/02/2015 08:34

I would say stressed too.

Our last cat spent six months in the rescue after his owner died. He had all sorts of problems but I just knew he was a sensitive boy and was struggling with things. He was also pretty sicky. He settled in straight away and all his symptoms subsided. Fast forward to 2.5 week holiday where he stayed at home with someone coming in each day and he started pulling his fur out. The vet thought it was an allergy but it stopped after a few weeks.

I would give him lots of love and routine. I am sure he will be fine.

Jux · 09/02/2015 09:18

Here is the kitten food I used: www.wellbeloved.com/products/cat-food/kitten

Jux · 09/02/2015 09:19

Mind you, I agree with wobble, and think he's stressed and hasn't yet forgiven you for going away.

cozietoesie · 09/02/2015 10:15

Busty

I just noticed something in passing from an earlier post of yours.

....His ears are so big that when he shakes his head it sounds like a flock of birds taking off....... (My emphasis.)

Does he shake his head often? It's not an entirely standard thing for a cat to do in my experience and could well be something to bring to the vet's attention if he does it a lot. (In case there's something up with his ears which could be contributing to his general malaise.)

Original poster
BustyDeLaGhetto · 09/02/2015 11:55

Jux That's helpful thank you, I will try him on young kitten food initially, after a few more days of white fish + chicken. He hasn't been sick in days, and only one stinky bowel movement in his litter tray so that's progress of sorts.

Worth mentioning: He was bullied by a dog in his previous home and lost an eye fighting his sibling. We have had two dogs move in a few doors away, which he has recently become aware of. I imagine this has shaken him. He has stopped toileting outside, preferring to use his litter tray inside - I imagine that is because he doesn't want his scent to draw attention to him? Not sure about other cats although he comes in from his walks with a tail a mile wide so something is agitating him. He is kept indoors from about six o'clock every night.

Cozie he shakes his head usually after napping or when I've been scratching him behind the ears. I will keep an eye on the frequency of it although fairly sure it's just when I've been fiddling with them (I can't help it! Blush )

Thanks for all your help, I've been so worried about him.

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