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Higher brain behaviors... or something like that.

post #1 of 12
2/14/11 at 12:34pm
Thread Starter 
Gosh, I'm not even sure how or where to place this question/comment.

I'll just jump right in: Years ago I had a tumor in my armpit, I had to have it removed, it wasn't cancerous or anything, just a lump. After I had it removed on of my cats rooted in my pit constantly until I'd get sore even. She stopped after awhile and never bothered it again.

Jump forward 5 years, I'm living with my husband in his families home until we could move into our own home (6 months) - my MIL cat took an extreme liking to me and slept with me most nights... she started rooting in my pit, just like my cat did years ago, she would rub her nose at first, then it turned to nibbling. We moved and I never thought of it again.

About 4 months ago I noticed that my kitten was drawn to my pit... but she didn't get silly with it, just nuzzling more than anything. Now, she's digging at it, rooting and nibbling it. And I'm kind of worried that something's growing there again.

OK, that's really about it, I'm thinking I better go to the Dr. again and get a scan, because I can't feel anything there other than my scar, but it's pretty big and thick... so I could be missing something. The older cat doesn't care about my armpit - but she never sits on our laps or sleeps with us either.

I know they have cancer sniffing dogs, and I believe it probably works, but tumor sniffing cats? And how do I approach my Dr. and say "Well, my cat was sniffing my armpit and she says that I better get this checked out again"
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post #2 of 12
2/14/11 at 1:41pm
hahaha don't mention the cat / cats at all! Your doctor will think you are nuts (at least mine would!) lol

Just say that it has been a few years and due to the scarring it is pretty hard to monitor that area by feel, and that you would really like a scan to check on it and make sure it is still clear
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post #3 of 12
2/14/11 at 1:58pm
Thread Starter 
You know I forgot my main question which is:

Do you think that they are detecting something? They go for the pit with shaving or out, with or without deodorant, freshly showered or fresh from hard work. Doesn't matter.
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post #4 of 12
2/14/11 at 2:19pm
It's possible they are picking something up. Animals have been able to tell their owners were going to have a something happen to them, right before it happened. Like heart attack and seizures.
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post #5 of 12
2/14/11 at 2:23pm
I absolutely DO think animals are sensitive to these things and it has been proven over and over again I just wouldn't use it as the base to discuss the pit with your doctor

I know Kismet likes to lay on my bad leg - which is good most days as he is like my very own heating pad and big enough to cover the entire leg.
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post #6 of 12
2/14/11 at 8:35pm
Thread Starter 
well as long as you guys don't think I'm starkers... that will work for me

I do think that they know things we don't know. Punky always tells us when the UPS or FedEx truck is here before we even see the truck. She runs like heck to the other room. She doesn't when other people come, just them.
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post #7 of 12
2/19/11 at 6:50am
Good luck and best wishes for your Doc appointment. I am sure all will be well.
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post #8 of 12
2/19/11 at 7:48am
Depends on the breed, but generally dogs have a bit better sense of smell than cats, but a cat's is still around fourteen times more perceptive than the average human nose. The whiskers are very sensitive to vibration, they can detect heat quite well using receptors in the tips of their noses, and their ears pickup fainter sounds and higher frequencies than people can hear. Pretty much the only thing particularly good on humans sensory wise is our eyesight in daylight and sense of touch, both above average.

So it could be coincidence and just be rooting in a soft crevice which many cats like to do when feeling affectionate (Buttercup does this a lot), but could be picking up something else too so for peace of mind worth it to check it out.
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post #9 of 12
2/19/11 at 8:27am
I absolutely think the cats are sensing something. Whether there is something new, or they just smell the scar tissue, either one, definitely have it checked out.

Hopefully most medical people these days realize that animals can have a sense about these things.

PS be sure to let us know the results of your tests.
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post #10 of 12
2/19/11 at 8:33am
I think animals absolutely have the ability to sense things about our body that we can't detect! and when you think that they can detect minutae of differences in things like temperature and vibrations and sound, it doesn't seem like such a stretch to think that they might just be OBSERVING something instead of SENSING it. One sounds more like Science and the other sounds a bit... ESP. XD Your Doctor doesn't need to know why you want the check up, it's enough that you're worried about it... but if you do tell him, I don't think he should think you're crazy for taking the hint from your cats who can OBSERVE so much more than we can.
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post #11 of 12
2/19/11 at 8:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jalindal View Post
hey might just be OBSERVING something instead of SENSING it. One sounds more like Science and the other sounds a bit... ESP. XD
Thats a good way to put it.
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post #12 of 12
2/19/11 at 8:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
Thats a good way to put it.
Haha, thanks. My Dad is very Science Minded, (caps intended!) so I have to think about my phrasing quite a lot with stuff like this. XD
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