3 Health Questions

Hi, Cat Site! I do not have a reliable vet at the moment (that's bad, I know, please don't harangue me), so I'm here looking for answers to three cat health questions.

1) One of my cats sometimes gets this tear-like watering in her eyes. It looks like she's crying, although she doesn't seem very bothered by it. The "tears" dry as brownish gunk on the fur around her eyes. I've only noticed this since the summer, so I'm thinking it might just be seasonal allergies...cats can get those too, can't they? However, this cat is also pretty obese. I know that in humans, eye complications can result from diabetes which can result from obesity. That worries me. I haven't noticed any other unusual symptoms though....can any of you help me?

2) Another of my cats occasionally does this odd thing with his mouth where he either grinds his teeth or chews his tongue. Maybe he's trying to get food out of his teeth? He doesn't do it often, but I'm wondering why a cat might do that and if there's any way I can get him to stop.

3) Can overeating cause my cat to vomit (not excessively, maybe once a day or every few days)?


Now that I've spent enough time asking for advice, I might as well give some....If you want an easy way to entertain your cat, tie a string to your ankle as you go about your daily chores (just don't trip). A way to keep your cat happy with very little effort on your part.

Sounds like it could be allergies if its only occuring at a specific time. But it could be a blocked tear duct. I'd have a vet look at him/her.

The grinding teeth; again have a vet take a look. Could be a tooth that is broken or something else dental wise.

Throwing up could mean the kind of food, the amount, or even allergic to the food.

I would not free feed the cats - feed a certain amount twice a day. That also will help with your overweight cat. Spayed/neutered cats who are allowed to free feed are more prone to becoming overweight cats. And its a lot harder to get weight off a cat (just like people).



I laughed at your string comment. Other day I didn't tie my shows to go get something on the driveway. Forgot Charlie was right there and loves moving string. He almost went out the door with me!

I have no intention of "harangue"ing you....I only know that if I did not have a reliable Vet........I would not rest until I had found one. And, if I were seeing the kinds of problems you are describing, rather than posting on here, I would put that time into finding a competent Veterinarian. (No "harangue". just advising what I would do)

One of the places where I would look is this website, a list of Veterinarians recommended by "owners" of chronically ill cats.

Now, if you want your obese cat to lose weight - easily - first, have a read of this thread on TCS. Secondly, take a short course in Feline Nutrition 101 (which is exactly what the OP in that thread did) offered by a leading Feline Veterinarian-Nutritionist on her website here. It was the nutritional information from that site that greenvillegal used to achieve the weight loss. I have to disagree slightly with GoldenKitty45 - if you're feding high fat and protein, low carbohydrate foods, not only can you free-feed, but, at the very least you should be providing the availability of frequent small meals throughout the 24-hour day.

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

Now that I've spent enough time asking for advice, I might as well give some....If you want an easy way to entertain your cat, tie a string to your ankle as you go about your daily chores (just don't trip). A way to keep your cat happy with very little effort on your part.

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What are the breeds and ages of your cats?

Thank you very much BLAISE for the links, I will check them out.

The cats are fed dry food (I believe it's Purina Indoor Formula) three times a day. It has helped them to lose some weight, although the one cat is still pretty overweight. I'll look into wet cat food though, since it sounds healthier. (If my cats could choose their own diet, it would consist of cheesecake, milk, and potato chips! They like human junk foods as much as I do!)

And, whiteforest, I don't know much about breeds, but...
The cat with the eye issue and obesity is 7, her fur is medium (not long, but not super short), and she has black and white patches all over.
The cat with the teeth grinding is 7 and is striped gray and thin with short fur.