kaniamania

by melissa kania
(medina, ohio)

sugar

Four months ago my cat was an outside cat, she went missing for two days. She came home on her own and was sick, coughing, sneezing, and lethargic. Vet treated her for upper respitory infection, after a week or so she was better, right after she felt better she no longer wants to go outside, eats everything in site, has put on 3-4 lbs. in 3 months. The strangest thing is she's not cleaning her butt very well so today, I decided to clean it for her and when I picked her up there was a chunk of mucus looking stuff hanging in the hair below her anus. I wiped it and put in container to take to the vet, if I need too. She acts fine, a little lazy but, not lethargic like when she was sick. I'm thinking worms of some kind but what I'm reading is the cat will lose weight, not the case. I have 4 cats now and have been a cat owner my whole life (43 yrs. and counting) I've never seen this before, any ideas?

Answer by KAte
Umm well something is not quite right is it. I can understand her not wanting to go again after her last misadventure, as she may have been very frightened by something and her illness would have also frightened her.

As for the over eating, this i think is probably also anxiety related, a bit like comfort eating. The trouble is as she puts on weight her energy levels will drop and she will find it difficult to get to her behind to clean it so well.

As for the mucus , well it may be that she also has an internal infection which may or may not be related to her last illness.

I really do think you need to take your cat to the vet again to have her checked out for worms or an internal infection, but also talk to him about the change in her behaviour and ask to see if there is anything he can suggest which may help to calm her down for a period of time. Often time and tlc is all they need to get over a trauma.

I have a page on my website which you may also find of interest here

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/scared-cat.html

I hope all is well again soon, bless her

best wishes Kate