Change in behavior, vet visit, now other cat hissing....

Hi there, long time no type.... I know I'm a stranger on TCS these days but I still love this place and love the people and info! And I need some opinions, even though I'll ask the vet tomorrow..

Genever's been a bit off for a few weeks, started when it was 100 degrees for about a week, and all of us were lethargic and blah. However, since it cooled down to the 70s/80s she still seems a bit slow, not as social, and this past Tuesday evening she hung out under the bed all evening, very unlike her. She is eating ok, but she's just not herself, so I made an appt for today. Her physical exam was fine, good temp, lungs, heart, mouth.. but we decided to run a full blood panel and also tested for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis test was normal, so that's good news. I'll get the blood results tomorrow. Hoping all that is ok too and that I'm just a paranoid cat mom.

So when the vet tech brought her back out to me, she had the towel from the carrier in a bag ans said G got really upset when they were drawing the blood (or maybe however they get a urine sample) and she peed and pooped! My Genever! Of course I was embarrassed and apologetic, and shocked that she would get so upset like that, she's usually really good at the vet.

Once we got home, G went straight to eat some dinner, so she couldn't be that stressed, or at least got over it. However, our other cat, Rose has begun hissing at G whenever G walks near/toward/past her! She does not like something, maybe It's the vet smell? This is the first time G has been at the vet since we got Rose in December.. could it be she just doesn't like the vet smell? Is it that she knows G is sick? I don't even know if G is sick yet, and if she is, it didn't just happen today. It's freaking me out because I don't want Rose to hate G, in fact I heard a hiss before I saw one and thought it was G hissing at rose, like "don't bug me, I don't feel good right now." Like I said, I'll mention it to the vet tomorrow, but any thoughts on why this is happening, and will Rose get over this? Wish us luck... Thanks!

"Vet Smell" is common and it should pass in a day or so.  Keep us updated.

DarkMavis said:

Hi there, long time no type.... I know I'm a stranger on TCS these days but I still love this place and love the people and info! And I need some opinions, even though I'll ask the vet tomorrow..

Genever's been a bit off for a few weeks, started when it was 100 degrees for about a week, and all of us were lethargic and blah. However, since it cooled down to the 70s/80s she still seems a bit slow, not as social, and this past Tuesday evening she hung out under the bed all evening, very unlike her. She is eating ok, but she's just not herself, so I made an appt for today. Her physical exam was fine, good temp, lungs, heart, mouth.. but we decided to run a full blood panel and also tested for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis test was normal, so that's good news. I'll get the blood results tomorrow. Hoping all that is ok too and that I'm just a paranoid cat mom.

So when the vet tech brought her back out to me, she had the towel from the carrier in a bag ans said G got really upset when they were drawing the blood (or maybe however they get a urine sample) and she peed and pooped! My Genever! Of course I was embarrassed and apologetic, and shocked that she would get so upset like that, she's usually really good at the vet.

Once we got home, G went straight to eat some dinner, so she couldn't be that stressed, or at least got over it. However, our other cat, Rose has begun hissing at G whenever G walks near/toward/past her! She does not like something, maybe It's the vet smell? This is the first time G has been at the vet since we got Rose in December.. could it be she just doesn't like the vet smell? Is it that she knows G is sick? I don't even know if G is sick yet, and if she is, it didn't just happen today. It's freaking me out because I don't want Rose to hate G, in fact I heard a hiss before I saw one and thought it was G hissing at rose, like "don't bug me, I don't feel good right now." Like I said, I'll mention it to the vet tomorrow, but any thoughts on why this is happening, and will Rose get over this? Wish us luck... Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hi there .. A couple of things may be going on. Cats can go through periods of not feeling well, just like humans can without this involving serious illness or disease. If she is eating and eliminating well, and everything checked out at the vets, I would say that she is just going through something that could be related to seasonal changes or temperatures.

Regarding the recent blood work and eliminations as the result, most cats including one of my own, do not do well with blood draws, and so the peeing and pooping can be occasional stress-related reactions. Vet visits can also cause other cats in your home to react strangely from, you guessed it, the smell of the clinic and other cat smells that linger there and wind up on your cat.

One thing you can do before or after a vet visit is to do a pheromone exchange whereby you take a clean sock or washcloth and rub down both G and Rose especially around the cheeks, and when one returns from the vet, take the washcloth and rub them both down again to transfer the pre-vet pheromones to each cat. This method will help them to recognize each other and not feel fearful.

Thanks for the replies, I know I've read about cats freaking out at other cats who came home from the vet, but I guess I've been used to super cool kitties and didn't think it would happen in our house. That said, Rose is a bit different than Genever and Dorothy .

So anyway, this morning I didn't hear any hissing, and now that we're home from work things seem back to normal. Rose is talking away at us like usual.

So back to Genever, the vet called and said the blood work results were all normal (I'll have to get a copy just to see..), so that's good news. I guess now we'll just keep an eye on her and if she still doesn't snap out of it in a week or 2 then call back and see what's next? Hopefully G will be back to her usual self soon though.

I also mentioned Rose's reaction to Genever last night, and she said that'll wear off (I think it has) and for next time try rubbing a tiny bit of baby powder in both their fur so they both smell funny and neither will flip out. Like the vanilla thing I guess. So now I know, Rose hates vet smell.

Thanks again and wish us luck that Genever comes around and gets some energy back soon!!

Good news and hopefully all will be well soon!