MAJOR PROBLEM.. NEED HELP ASAP (long)

emmilou

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Okay I have 4 cats, Cotton whos 15 and ancient, but loveable all the same, Tigger whos about 6 or 7, George whos about 3 or 4 and Oliver whos maybe a year old... This morning we had a major fiasco, when my mom was geting ready, cotton went to eat, and basically George and Oliver tried to attack him, my mom picked him up and they were jumping at her.. She slipped and fell on some water, and still held onto Cotton, the youngest, Oliver left, but George kept trying to get Cotton... I came in and grabbed him by the scruff and got him out of the bathroom, mom shut the door, and he paced by the door, i tried to shoo him with a pillow and he like jumped on my leg and scratched it all up.. we put cotton in my bathroom with food and water while we went to school/ work... my moms arms were all scratched up and bit a few times, when i got home, George is acting very badass like its no big deal, and oliver flees anytime he sees anyone.. Mom asked me to get online and find info on whether this is normal behavior because cottons so old, or if theres more to it than that.. Tigger and Cotton are neutered and declawed on the front, but the younger 2 arent. Could this be a cause, when I got home i let tigger in ecause he seemed worried about Cotton, he was like gaurding the bathroom door, and when he went in he laid with him and licked him and all that cute buisness... What should we do about the younger 2? Is this normal and if so can neutering fix this, or should we give them up to a shelter or humane society?
 

missymotus

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Getting the younger 2 neutered will help, in tact males will fight.
 

jen

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With so many males, without a doubt neuter them all asap. Intact males fight over territory plus for their health it needs to be done. But don't declaw them, that is just cruel and unnecessary!

As for the bullying up to Cotton, has Cotton been to the vet recently? Particularly has he had a senior blood panel done? It should be done around 10 at least but if it hasn't then have one done, you really need to see if he is healthy. He probably won't show it if he isn't well or in pain but they others will know and almost treat him like a whole new cat because he will smell different and they won't recognize him. Illness brings all sorts of new and different smells.

So keep all that in mind and get him in to the vet for a check up with bloodwork done and get the younger ones neutered asap.
 
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emmilou

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we havent got cottons blood work done, ive actually never even heard of that, but now that u mention it hes been getting these funny pumps on his skin and his hair looks dirty and nappy all the time and hes goted a wee bit thinner... when we take the cats in to get neutered we will schedule a check up for him too...
 

gayef

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I don't mean to sound at all negative, but the fact that Cotton is older and may be ill can be a part of the problem here as well. Of course, unneutered males will attack and try to eliminate any "competition" within their territory, but also, if they know a cat is ill or otherwise weak, they will attack it and eliminate it to move upwards in the hierarchy within the colony.
 

momofmany

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My bet? Cotton has something wrong with him and the younger, unneutered cats are trying to drive him out of their "colony" because that is what cats do in the wild. Get the youngsters neutered ASAP and get that blood work done on Cotton. It concerns me when you say that Cotton's fur is dirty and nappy - that usually means that they are ill and no longer able to groom themselves.
 
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emmilou

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well he grroms himself, like ive seen him do so, but his fur lacks the luster and shine that it used to have, like right after we gave him a bath it still looked a litle oilly... idk the sad truth is that his time is probably running out and it makes me super sad... like now that i got an appointment im afraid to take him.. i dont wanna have to have him put down...
 

carolpetunia

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Cotton has to see a vet. The two intact males have to be neutered.

And declawing has to be made illegal in this country.
 

larke

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15 is NOT old for a cat and there's NO reason to think he'll need to be put down, but the sooner you take him in, the less 'far along' whatever is wrong will be and the easier and cheaper to fix. Don't put it off.
 
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emmilou

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is 15 really not that old? i thought that was really old, like lucky hes still here old...hmmm
 

white cat lover

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Originally Posted by emmilou

is 15 really not that old? i thought that was really old, like lucky hes still here old...hmmm
Cats can easily live to be in their 20s. With proper vet care, nutrtion, & living indoor lives.
 

catsallover

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My oldest cat (who will turn 14 this year
) got skinny and definitely looked like something was wrong, but she had hyperthyriodism (high thyroid) that isn't all that uncommon in older cats, and with a tiny pill twice a day, she is plumped back up and right as rain again, it seems (goes back for bloodwork again next month
). So yes, the sooner he can go to the vet, the better, and yes, get the other 2 fixed asap- they will also be marking territory in your house! Ugh!
.
 

bab-ush-niik

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i dont wanna have to have him put down...
He will likely be fine. Cats get sick, especially elderly ones. Patches is 18. Her coat still has a good sheen to it, though there's some grey in her black patches now.
She's got a little arthritis and senility, but she'll beat up any cat that comes into her territory. She went to the vet recently because she wasn't eating; apparently she just had a cold. Our neighbors cat lived to 22. Princess passed at 17, and she wasn't sick. (We think it was a stroke.) 15 isn't really old.

DEFINITELY get those boys neutered. That's probably most of your problem right there.

It sounds like Cotton just needs a vet trip. He might have a skin disease, and he should definitely have bloodwork done to check if anything else is wrong. He can't tell you when he feels bad, which is why the bloodwork is so important.

If you do those things, in a couple months, you should have a peaceful home and an elderly kitty finishing off some medication.
 

yosemite

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With the fur issue, the bumps and Cotton losing weight, I'd say you have a sick kitty and the longer you put off taking him to the vet, the worse his condition will get. IMHO he needs to see a vet and sooner rather than later.
 

tru

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You have certainly been well advised.

I just want to request that you come back and let us know how things went at the vet and, if you have pictures, we'd love to see them.

Good luck and healthy vibes for your {({({({({(Cotton)})})})})}.
 
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