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

Original poster

Cat walking around house meowing

24 replies

FrankieChips · 30/01/2019 22:35

Our 15/16 year old cat suddenly started meowing loudly and pacing around the house. She started it at about 2pm today. I got her to calm down and sleep on me for a while. She had some dinner, used her tray and peed a little bit.

This morning she had pooed in the upstairs room. It was a big poo, solid and runny and very smelly so I lit a candle. I forgot the candle was lit so it was burning for about 2 hours, when I blew it out she started the howling and walking.

We’ve also got work going on in our front garden as a drain is being fixed so it’s very noisy.

I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow but not sure if this is an emergency I should take her to the 24hour vet. She is currently sitting upstairs, away from us which is nit like her. I’m so worried.

She seems confused and unsteady on her paws. Doesn’t seem to be in pain but doesn’t want attention. Has anyone come across this before?

OP posts:
Smotheroffive · 30/01/2019 22:59

Just offering a paw for support. I'd be worried, yes. If she's not settled down since the noise stopped I would discount it personally in her 16 years I'm sure she's got used to lots of noises.

I am wondering whether she might have had a mild heart attack or something, because of the wobbling and yowling. Confusion from a stroke is coming to mind also.

Smotheroffive · 30/01/2019 23:00

A stroke could affect her bowels potentially. Or she could have a blockage perhaps. Does she have a temp?

Original poster
FrankieChips · 30/01/2019 23:02

Thank you Smotheroffive. Yes my first thought was a stoke. She was fine this morning except for the giant poo in the bedroom. I did worry that it was the fumes from the candle. Have had the windows open all afternoon just in case.

OP posts:
Original poster
FrankieChips · 30/01/2019 23:04

When haven’t checked her temp. She is still eating and hasn’t been sick. Pooed and peed this morning and peed this evening (although it seemed like a smaller than usual clump). I did feed her a lot yesterday as I’m working from home and when we’re home she constantly wants food.

OP posts:
Smotheroffive · 31/01/2019 20:23

How is she OP? What did the vet say? Did you go this morning in the end?

Ginkythefangedhellpigofdoom · 01/02/2019 02:10

When my cat was doing the screaming and yowling it turned out to be hyperthyroidism.

Hope the vet appointment went ok.

Original poster
FrankieChips · 01/02/2019 06:56

Thanks for askin smotheroffive. She’s had all her blood tests and they were all clear. The only thing that appeared was that she was a bit dehydrated so they kept her in overnight on a drip. Her eyes are fine too so I will bring her home today and if there is no change the next step is looking into possible problems with her brain :( really hope she’s ok.

She always comes up to sleep between us at 4am. She jumps on my side and walks around my pillow then settles down between us and I give her some head scratches and we both fall asleep. I was wide awake at 4am, missing her. Poor little bear.

OP posts:
Original poster
FrankieChips · 01/02/2019 12:29

My partner spoke to the vet this morning and the nurse noticed her eyesight getting worse. He was the one that suggested it might be hypertension (after we did a lot of googling) and now they are doing tests for that. He is fuming that he is the one that has to suggest the tests. We don't have a lot of faith in Vets these days. We've had bad experiences with them as have a friend of mine and their dog :(

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 01/02/2019 12:32

I’m so sorry.
Mine would walk around shouting. She was 19 and possibly a bit senile. She did have a thyroid issue. Treated with meds. My mum had a cat that had a stroke. Hoping for better news soon.

VenusClapTrap · 01/02/2019 14:31

Change vets. They vary wildly. My previous one dismissed the possibility of injection sarcoma as a diagnosis because it is ‘vanishingly rare’. Well it did turn out to be injection site sarcoma and we lost our beloved dcat. And it turns out it’s increasingly common, not vanishingly rare.

New vet is as different again - much more ‘on it’.

Smotheroffive · 01/02/2019 20:24

Oh I hope they get to the bottom of it soon OP.

Many problems with vets here also, leading to lives lost sadly. Also recently told my big ddog has early arthritis (age 2). Its crap. Nothing wrong now.

Original poster
FrankieChips · 03/02/2019 17:13

Well, the vet that saw her said she thinks almost all her sight has gone and referred her to a specialist. As she thinks she has a brain tumour.

When we got her home it was clear she has lost some of her site in one of her eyes (she damaged that eye a few years ago and has always had problems). We did some of our own tests and observed her closely and she isn’t bumping into anything, can follow things, and still jumps up easily. She is a bit hesitant to jump down from things and sometimes misses her food but apart from that she seems to have made a good recovery.

She’s no longer distressed and is back to her routine. I think the eye must have got worse at some point and when she woke up the difference in her sight scared her. I’m so relieved but also looking for a new vet. They have misdiagnosed her three times now. Find it hard to trust them. But we’re over the moon that she’s ok!

Thank you to eveeryone who commented (especially Smotheroffive) xx

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 03/02/2019 17:21

Will you still see the specialist though? Good luck.

Original poster
FrankieChips · 03/02/2019 18:57

We were going to (it’s the Supervet practice from tv) but tumours don’t have a good prognosis, particularly older cats. She would have to be sedated and get a MRI scan. We discussed what we would do if she had a tumour and we probably wouldn’t get treatment due to her age and because the treatment could damage her in other ways and cause distress. She seems happy at the moment. She’s had a lot of vet visits recently and every visit distresses her. It doesn’t seem fair.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 03/02/2019 18:58

But she may need pain relief, could be offered palliative care and you would have an idea of prognosis. I would at least want a second opinion.

Smotheroffive · 03/02/2019 19:13

Oh that's Sad Frankie so sorry. I'm glad the immediate distress and confusion has passed for her.

I think I would be wondering about ongoing pain/pressure in the brain, depends on what you would do though perhaps? I think if prognosis was poor I wouldn't wanthem to bring her back out of sedation.

Ideally someone would visit at home to do it to save her the added stress, but needing an MRI will rule out that option, unless you decide to let her go (pts) without MRI investigation.

Like you say, it doesn't seem fair, on either of you. Without the prospect of a good prognosis it does seem like there wouldn't be any point to the additional stress. Is it anticipated that shed been in pain and suffering right now? Flowers

Original poster
FrankieChips · 03/02/2019 19:36

The thing is she has no symptoms of a brain tumour and all her blood tests were clear. After the initial scare that she had where she was confused, she then settled back down to her old routine. I’m going to phone them tomorrow to discuss it.

OP posts:
MrsBertBibby · 03/02/2019 19:44

Don't write your cat off for a tumour. My old lady was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour after MRI and is on steroids. The fancy vet said she would last a few weeks then pts. 3 years next Easter, and she's still pootling about, drinking filthy water in the garden and yowling for dreamies.

Cat walking around house meowing
Wolfiefan · 03/02/2019 19:49

If she’s lost some of her sight I would want to know why. Should she be an indoor cat? What treatment (if any) should be given?

MrsBertBibby · 03/02/2019 21:59

Mine has lost a lot of sight but still loves to go out. She still scrambles in and out of her cat flap and trundles around the garden, jumps on my lap and so on. She's miserable if I keep her in.

Smotheroffive · 03/02/2019 22:07

Oh i hope the discussions go well tomorrow! If all the symptoms have stopped what does that mean? Dcat is back into usual routine again? Oh I hope it all turns out ok.

Smotheroffive · 06/02/2019 23:32

@Frankiechips is it too soon to ask for news? If its not something you want to share, well that's ok too! Been thinking of youand Frankiedcat

Mia184 · 07/02/2019 10:21

OP could your cat have hearing problems? I‘ve heard that it affects elder cats occasionally and one symptom is that they start to be quite noisy.

MrsBert it‘s wonderful that your cat is doing so well years after the prognosis. She looks gorgeous!

Smotheroffive · 13/02/2019 18:22

@Frankiechips what news? How is she?

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