Is My Cat Sick? Help Needed.

Any reason you aren't taking the cat to a vet (before the weekend)? It would seem that there is not an emergency veterinary service in your neck of the woods. The groaning when you picked him up could indicate some sort of obstruction (hairball) of the intestinal tract.

It really sounds like time for a visit to the vet. My parents had a cat that lived to 17, so there could be a few more years on your present cat, but if there is something that needs attention, it is best to get professional help. Hopefully things will turn around on Tuesday when you can get your cat to the vet.

 

For some reason hairballs become more frequent with age. It could be an accumulation thing or what not, but with my parents cat, hairballs were a frequent occurrence after 9 years old. If it is hairballs, there is a laxative that the vets prescribe to help pass the accumulation of hair. Is your cat a long-haired one?

Also, it sounds like your cat hasn't learned how to manipulate its owner - my parents cat would hang out on a window ledge and survey its realm. Whenever it saw an interloper, it would howl and my father would dash outside (even at 9, 10, 11 p.m.) and spray a water hose at the interloper....

 

Here's what I would do:

Do a physical body inspection of him, everywhere. Look closely at his skin (move the hair). You're looking to see if he has any places of his body that are tender to the touch, injuries where he might have gotten cut, puncture marks, etc. Often you can't tell if an animal is injured because their fur hides it, so you have to look closely and carefully to find it.

As you inspect him, move each limb carefully, extending it and bending the joints. This careful search will also help you figure out if he is more tender in one area of the body or limb. If he got hit by a car or kicked by someone, maybe he is sore and this will help you figure that out. Be sure to inspect his stomach, and if it's this area that he is mostly afraid of you touching, then it's here that he's sore.

If you can't find anything obvious, or if your touching him leads you to believe that there is something internally wrong, then yes, you need a vet. The vet will further check to see if he's dehydrated, check his temperature, etc. Perhaps he got into something (poison?) and is not feeling well.

Do you keep a litterbox? Is his elimination normal? Like apriusfan noted, he could have an intestinal blockage... you might know this because he is straining to eliminate or his 'evidence' in the box has been suspiciously less lately. If there is less urine, he might have a kidney stone blockage, bladder stones, or a urinary tract infection (common in older cats). All of this will be considered by the vet and can be tested and checked for.

So, if this has been building up for a month, you need to get him to a vet very soon, if not immediately. Please do so, and please let us know what you learn. I'm hoping he'll be back to snuff in no time. 13 years old is young for a kitty. Last January we lost our beloved kitty... we think she was about 20 years old, but know for sure she was at least 18.

 

Well, if you do the physical exam and the only thing that comes up is the sensitive abdomen, then it could still be a hairball, even with the short hair. If your cat got in fights, it could be an abscess from one of the fights. That was another thing that my parents cat did (defend his territory). After the second iteration of an abscessed wound ($400 in vet bills each time), the cat was kept inside after 6 p.m. feeding.

 

I don't know much about cats. The lifespan is about 10-15 years so it's possible his time has come and he's stopped eating and is preparing.

Or...it could be a hairball. I'd try the laxative stuff mentioned above to see if that helps.

He he drinking water?

 

The fact that he groans when you pick him up raises a red flag for me. I would advise taking him in to the vet. Check to see if your vet has an emergency number. Is he washing himself? If he has quit washing, there is something wrong with him, and if your own inspection has revealed nothing, then it's time for the vet.

I would not use any chemicals or drugs to "calm" him for the drive. Those might mask symptoms that would be useful for the vet. I always recommend a cat carrier for the car, ever since my own cat managed to get under the pedals and I went off the road.

 

Is your cat neutered?
If not, there is probably nothing wrong (although you should get him "fixed").
If he is, it could be cystitis (common in neutered males). If this is the case
he needs a catheter right away as his bladder is becoming painfully full.

 

Could be any number of things. He's a male cat, has he blocked before? It's common in male cats. You might be able to palpate his bladder to see if it's enlarged. Could be kidney problems, how's the color of his gums, if they are pale he's in trouble.
Can you keep him indoors for the next few days? Monitor his food and water intake, and what he eliminates!
Does he hunt, mice, birds, other small animals? Eating these can cause a list of problems.
Get him to a Vet as soon as possible, the longer you wait the worse off he may become.
Good Luck, hope your little fellow is alright!

 

Let us know how he's doing, okay? As a cat lover (one of mine lived to 20 1/2 years old) I'm concerned for you and him.

 

Any news on your kitty? From what I know, Feliway is not a drug really and would not mask any symptoms. Vets recommend it all the time for stressed out kitties. Google it and see what you come up with.

 

Good to hear he is drinking. Is it possible he has been getting food from a neighbor? Hope all goes well tomorrow!

 

It calms them but is not a drug? NOT!!! If it has an effect on mood, it's a drug. A lot of folks claim that this or that herb is not a drug because it's a "natural" plant. NOT!!! Plenty of plants contain potent drugs. Mescaline comes to mind. Or Amanita muscaria. Drugs can often be beneficial, but self-medication before a medical exam is not a good idea unless absolutely necessary.

I wonder if cats get carsick. That would explain why many of them don't like car rides. My cat hated riding in the car.