My cat is hiding, acting lethargic and cries when I pick him up.

by lauren ockenden
(london uk)

Hi there,

I have a 7 month old Birman male cat called Baloo. Just to give you a bit of background informstion. I had his sister from a previous litter and she died at 10 months old, 6 weeks after I got hey spayed, she became lethargic developed jaundice and lost all control of her bladder and there was nothing the vet could do to save her. I was told she has leukemia and so when I got her brother several months later I had him tested for leukemia before I bought him and he came back negative.I gave my flat a deep clean and got rid of everything that belonged to her incase he could have caught it. He is usually a very happy confident social cat and loves human attention, follwing me around and always waiting at the door but since I moved a week ago his behaviour has started to change. I found him hiding under the bed in the corner today when i returned home, he has been sleeping way more than usual, he just has no energy. Three weeks ago he stayed in the vets for two nights as he had been eating from the bin without us realising and making himself sick. The vets checked him over thoroughly and whilst he was with them he wasn't sick. When we got him back we caught him doing this and then realised this was why he had been vomiting, yet the vet gave his health the all clear and had no concerns. He hasn't lost his appetite and is very large for his age. I haven't had him neutered yet as I am worried that the trauma may trigger an illness, yet now i'm worried that the move may have done this. I have made an appointment with the vet this week but am very worried about him. When he does get up he just sits and looks at me and cries and its breaking my heart that what happened before may happen again. The breeder I got him off refuses to return my calls, and since has stopped breeding cats all together. He is an indoor cat and we have no other pets. Thankyou for your time.
Lauren xx

Answer by KAte
Ummm I'm not a big fan of some breeders as they often dont have the cats health at heart.

when you say this is the brother of your other cat i am assuming that it was from another litter from the same mum meaning that he allowed her to get preganant very quickly which can cause weaknesses in the kittens born. i am wondering if this could be the case with your little fella.

he is still very young and so hopefully will get stronger and healthier as he gets older. you are doing everything right especailly in getting him regualr vet care.

It is difficult to say what is cauing his current beahvior, it may be emotiional i.e he may be bored or is starting to have hormonal changes due to his age, this can affect how they are for awhile.

All you can do is to make sure he is fed the best quality food you can afford, make sure he has lots in the home to keep him stimulated and happy and to take him to the vets as you are planning to do. Speak with your vet about neutering and express all your concerns to him. If he is worth his salt as a vet he should be frank with you and give you options.

he is a lovely little guy and I hope this is just a phase he is going through and that he will return to his usual happy self soon. It may well be that he needs more time to adjust to his new home. See this page for some ideas on how to keep him amused whilst inside.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

best wishes Kate

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