We thought Tippy wasn't feeling well!

We thought Tippy wasn't quite herself. Now how do you go to a vet and say "my cat isn't herself". I know all of you know what I mean, but some people wouldn't understand. Anyway for a few days she wasn't yelling to come into the bedroom at night, she was curled up in the office in a corner. Her appetite was good, but I'd have to coax her to leave the office area. Really was getting a little concerned. But then I realized it had started right after we had the monster machine clearing all the brush in our property. While it was being done she was sleeping in the bedroom, and at that time they cut down the 3 pines right outside the window. I kind of felt that was what got her spooked. Anyway, the cure startd with extra helpings of Fancy Feast which made her very happy. So I knew her appetite was still good, she was using the litter box ok. To make a long story short Tippy is back to being her old self. Right now she's curled up on the top of the couch in the family room. Last night she cried to come into the bedroom and our immediate response was "Tippy is back!". This is the first time she has ever been spooked by any outside noise.

Poor Tippy!  It's heart breaking when they are so afraid, and you can't explain to them, instead just having to sit and wait it out until they decide they aren't afraid anymore.  My first instinct is to grab mine and hug them tight, but I know enough to leave them be and they will sort it out themselves when they are ready.

Extra treats do seem to help
 

Actually, most vets will understand, particularly if you have used that vet before and frequently,even if you haven't. I have one vet that I rely on quite regularly for both horse and cat work, and more than once over the last 14 years, I have called and said "_______ just ain't right. Can you come and see him (for a horse)?" and at least twice asked if I brought the offending cat to the track, could he stop and look. These people know that an owner is generally perceptive enough to take NQR in demeanor as something that may be serious and that the NQR may well be very subtle. I even did it with a new (to me) vet with the horse a couple of years ago. Called my stand-by, and he was off on a reproductive course, and the other horse vet was out on another emergency. Called the clinic recommended and they came pretty quickly even on the vague 'He ain't himself" description. There wasn't much to go on except he was easier to catch than normal - a problem in my eyes. It was a problem, the very beginnings of colic. Don't let something NQR ever stop a call to a vet - they know you are the one that knows the animal best and will do their best to help.

Aw, poor Miss Tippy. Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on any one thing, but you just know that something isn't quite right. And we've done vet visits just because something isn't right, even though I couldn't figure it out exactly what that "something" was. Most of the time, it's a bit of a bug that might be traveling through the cat family here. It will start with one cat and go completely through them all. And then they're all fine again.

We have quite a few older cats, though, so when something isn't quite right with them, off to the vet they go.

Poor Tippy, she must have been afraid that the huge noisy monster was coming back. With cats, especially, "not quite right" is about all you have to go by, and most vets probably have experience with that.