Cat Suddenly Acting Scared

Hey everyone I'm a new member, signed up because I had a few questions about our cat. We are very worried so I'll just go ahead and ask. We have a cat named Mow he is about 4 years old and up until about a week ago he is very very laid back. His attitude usually goes beyond a cats, He sleeps on his back, loves being picked up,this is how lazy he normally is you can pick him up lay him on top of your head and he wont move for a couple hours, very very easy going. He's been that way for a long time. When he was young he accidentally got out and took on a rottie he won but had a leg injury and has to have his knee pinned and rodded for a few months but now walks with a limb and has gained a little weight over the years due to his knee injury, its hard for him to move around a whole lot. But he has been perfectly fine up until a couple days ago, there has been some rather disturbing incidents ex. My boyfriend was laying on the bed with a heating pad on his back and Mow (cat) hair stood on end and he was staring hardcore at the cord,popped it as hard as he could and took off, happened the other day with the remote, and then I was sitting on the bed while he was laying on me like he always does, and my dog laying on the opposite end of the bed just stretch and Mow once again jumped up and ran of scared, This is the extreme opposite of how you usually acts, Normally you can fire a roman candle next to him and he will barely raise his eyes open and return to sleep, we think maybe its his visions,like he can't see what objects are that easily, thats why he gets scared, but why would he all of a sudden lose his vision in a mere 3-4 days? Money is very tight right now so I'm waiting to get a few opinions before a trip to the vet, We are so scared, he is our best friend you know, we don't know if its his leg bothering him,hes going blind, or having some kind of all of a sudden anxiety disorder. I was reading up on different cat diseases and a few and perhaps he may have high blood pressure would be possible due to his extra weight and low exercise levels due to his knee. Also some suggest that it could be hypertension which is fancy for saying high blood pressure but can also cause blindness in a as little as 2 days. He hasn't changed his eating habits at all, or sleep more or less, he's just all of a sudden very jumpy over the strangest things, Please of anyone knows anything or has any opinions please everyone is more than welcome to post, AS we are very worried, please help!?

Welcome to TCS, I am sorry your first visit is due to a health concern. Mine was too. This is a great place with a lot of knowledgable people who love cats.

There are a couple things in your post that are concerning to me.

I think you are right about the vision loss. That was the first thing I thought when I read the part about the heating pad cord. That "fast whack" is a classic "what is that and is it going to hurt me" gesture for a cat.

the "gained a little weight and it is hard for him to get around a lot" is sending more little warning bells.

Then there is the extreme personality change. This alone is very concerning. It is what I call "ain't doing right" and I always get bloodwork done when one of my crew starts acting out of character.

The first thing I think of is diabetes, which can cause vision loss and blindness. Excess weight is a hallmark risk factor for diabetes in cats. This can be a very serious issue, especially if it has been going on for a while unnoticed.

I know you said funds are tight, but if Mow was my kitty this would be one instance where I would get a vet visit ASAP. I live very rural and have medical and veterinary training, so I treat many things at home. If I thought there were some things you could try before a vet visit I would most certainly suggest them. This is one case that worries me enough to warrent a Saturday vet visit. I really think Mow needs some blood work done.

I wish I had less scary words for you, as I can tell from your post you are already very worried about your boy.

I will be sending lots of vibes that you find out what is going on with Mow quickly and get him back to his old laid back self soon. Please keep us posted.

Upon reading a lot of diagnosis from the veterinary institute of medicine diabetes and heart disease sounded like two very, very scary factors ones which I had thought about (but my fiancÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] beings that its his cat) told me no he was fine Mow's a hardass blah blah, just basically didn't want to face his cat may be sick. I can understand why it would be hard to face, he had a golden retriever for 17 years and finally his mother said Hey son we gotta put him down because they couldnt pay to have a tumor removed and so his best friend died in his arms, he'll still cry if you mention it to him. )So without being able to find a number for an emergency vet I did the next thing and called my teacher at his house. ( going to school as a vet tech so all my teachers are veterinarians) He agreed it could be sign of those diabetes or heart disease also hypothyroidism, which I had never thought about until now, Mow has for the last few months had dull dandruff hair, he's never been good at cleaning himself and has allergies to even oatmeal soap so I don't bathe him a whole lot. Also Dr.Copeland suggested it could be sudden retinal failure, which upon closer watching his eyes have remained dilated in both darkness and light. So at this point I am very, very worried about my poor Mow. By the blessings of his heart he's going to see Mow at his clinic first thing tomorrow morning, I'm so worried I can't sleep, he's even being sweet enough to give me extra credit for assisting in the examination. I hope he'll be okay though, Man he's so young to he's not yet even 5! Exercising him is so hard because of his knee it hurts him to move a lot, my husband can vouch he had the same surgery on both his knees for a football accident.( replacing a damaged knee cap with partial cartilage form the other knee than putting steel pins in both knee caps to keep form dislocating) But Dr.Copeland said he needs exercise, so tomorrow he said he will get me a bag of science diet prescription weight loss cat food, and give me a list of o.t.c arthritis medicine I can get for Mow. God I dont know what to did if anything happened to Mow, any of my babies, My husband Chris he couldn't bare it, he always says Mows like his little son he never had lol. He's sitting on my lap now looking at me like why I'm worried, the poor babe. Thank you so much for writing me back, I really,really appreciate the advice. I'll keep you posted on how he's doing.

Yeah my roomies cat was acting strange too, but we had no money to go to the vet, so 5 months later we are here and testing testing testing... I pay she will pay me back.

If its diabetes that test is only 20 bucks, so I would get that tested before the damage is done, once its done you cant fix it, but if you control diabetes you can prevent the rest from coming like losing his back leg function completely.

I was told my cat (well my roomies, but it feels like mine too) does not have any blood problems, clots ect. because if it was he would already be in kitty heaven because of waiting 5 months.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m glad you have techers who can help you. Are they able to run any tests with out charging to much?

Yes they are, thank the good heavens they are not only teachers they are friends and very sweet hearted people, but yes we had the test done this morning, lots for a few hours and its a minor clot so he will be okay, thank goodness!!!!

Great news on Mow! I am so happy you were able to get your teacher to help you. Always trust your instincts with your kitties.

Mow is lucky to have you. Keep us posted on his progress.

Hi, I have a white long haired Exotic and he is also acting weird. He is afraid of the cord on my office chair. I had to remove this cord that vibrates the back of the chair. Even though I never used it he was afraid of it. I unplugged it and put the cord away. I tried to cuddle him after this and he took a slice out of my hand as he freaked out and jumped a mile high and ran. He usually is the sweetest cat going. He gave so much love out with lots of purring. He was always a lap cat but just a one person cat. The next day he was ok again - could give him love and he was happy again. Then he freaked out again at his shadow- jumping a mile high and snarling at it. Good for another couple of days and freaked out at me putting im down on the bed. He has his own room!!! He scratched my arm freaking out. I love him and don't know what is going on with him. I have been reading some of your answers. Did any blood work explain why they act strange?

Hi Terihall52, and welcome to TCS!  Unfortunately, you are posting on a thread that is almost 5 years old, so you may not get any answers.  Best bet is to take your baby to see your Vet, or at least call them and discuss what is happening, as any change in behavior like that could mean there is something wrong healthwise.  Have you checked his eyes to see if they are dilating when the light shines in them?  That will at least let you know if he appears to be able to see. Otherwise, you might try posting under the "behavior" forum too, just to see if anyone else has experienced something similar that was not health related (although it does sound vision related, just from what you have described).

for getting to the bottom of this!