Can't figure out what is wrong with my cat..help!!

Hi there. I have a short haired tortoise colored female cat, about 2 and a half years old. Two days ago she woke me up seeming itchy and agitated so I took her right away to the vet. He expressed her anal glands because they were slightly full, but later I noticed she was continuing her symptoms so I don't think that's the issue. Her back keeps twitching and the hairs are always standing slightly up, she just never looks like she can get comfortable. Her paws occasionally twitch and she licks and bites herself a good amount, seeming like she's trying to get rid of some bad itches. The vet the second time combed her back and didn't see any fleas, although they are sneaky so I got revolution to hopefully help if she had some fleas. It's a day later now since administering her the revolution, she is able to sleep more but I just can tell she is overall still not herself and coming across as uncomfortable.. The vet wanted to do tests like a radiograph and xray but it cost about $750 which is a lot of money to spend if nothing turns out to be wrong. However if it gets to a point where her uncomfort just doesn't go away I would take her in again, because on the outside and during exams the vets don't seem to have an answer for me. I'm worried sick and hate to see her uncomfortable, I just want to know what's wrong so I can help her! Any suggestions? Or advise? I don't know what else I can do! Symptoms: ears twitch every so often, back and sides twitch like how a fly lands on a horse and it twitches, she's licking and biting at her paws and cleaning herself a lot, tried looking at her skin and it didn't seem off to me.. That's about all I got I think. Thank you!!

She has been on the same food, weight loss science diet, for a good amount of time now, more than 3 months I would guess, so I don't believe it would be her food. She is about 15 pounds and should be at 12, however the weight loss food hasn't done a ton, trying to exercise her more! Should I just give her time to see if things get better? It has only been three days and she is able to lay down and rest. I can't tell how much pain she is in but I can tell slightly because she is not normal, but it doesn't seem like a high amount of pain, but then again who knows.I tried looking for fleas but me nor the vet had any luck.. I am hoping this flea treatment will help but they said it should work right away and she is still having symptoms.. But it has only been three days.. The symptoms just suddenly came on one day she was fine the next she is itchy and can't stay in the same spot for too long. Do you think her food still might have something to do with it even if she's been eating it for a decent amount of time? Thank you for your response! Such a worried owner!

MTGAL said:

 
However, I'm wondering about a food reaction. You might want to try a different food, preferably one with limited ingredients and one that is grain free.

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I wonder the same thing, about food issues: diet foods often have fairly hefty portions of grains (like corn, wheat) in them, which can cause allergies and itching. Unfortunately, the lack of weight loss is also often a problem with those foods, too. We went through that (and itching and anal gland problems, too) with our previous cat. And yes, if your cat has an allergy to something in the food it could come on rather suddenly/unnoticed: the problems can develop over time. Food sensitivities and anal gland problems can also be connected. (Here's an article that mentions it.)

@Blaire0220, are you feeding dry or wet food? I think MTGAL's suggestion of a grain-free, limited ingredient food is a good one. Wet foods seem to work better for weight loss because they generally have less carby fillers than dry foods: that's what our vet recommends and that's what seems to work for a lot of Cat Site members' cats. Grocery store foods like Fancy Feast classics (the pates) are an easy place to start cutting the grains from a cat's diet but if that doesn't work to stop the itching, there are lots of brands with simpler recipes that allow you to feed just one protein, like chicken or turkey.

Good luck! I'm glad you're getting this taken care of early: I wish we'd known about food sensitivities when our previous cat first starting having symptoms.

LisaHE said:

 
I wonder the same thing, about food issues: diet foods often have fairly hefty portions of grains (like corn, wheat) in them, which can cause allergies and itching. Unfortunately, the lack of weight loss is also often a problem with those foods, too. We went through that (and itching and anal gland problems, too) with our previous cat. And yes, if your cat has an allergy to something in the food it could come on rather suddenly/unnoticed: the problems can develop over time. Food sensitivities and anal gland problems can also be connected. (Here's an article that mentions it.)

@Blaire0220, are you feeding dry or wet food? I think MTGAL's suggestion of a grain-free, limited ingredient food is a good one. Wet foods seem to work better for weight loss because they generally have less carby fillers than dry foods: that's what our vet recommends and that's what seems to work for a lot of Cat Site members' cats. Grocery store foods like Fancy Feast classics (the pates) are an easy place to start cutting the grains from a cat's diet but if that doesn't work to stop the itching, there are lots of brands with simpler recipes that allow you to feed just one protein, like chicken or turkey.

Good luck! I'm glad you're getting this taken care of early: I wish we'd known about food sensitivities when our previous cat first starting having symptoms.

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I didn't even think about her diet food possibly being an issue. I will run out today and try getting her some natural wet food or just grain free dry food! I will try anything! I would just really like to avoid spending $750 at the vet if it is not necessary. Thank you for all of your help, any more advice or suggestions are much appreciated all!! It's driving me crazy not knowing what is wrong.

I know what you mean about diet: we had no clue and learned about it the hard way! I'm glad you're going to get some new food. Do be careful not to switch it all at once, though, lest a sudden change cause stomach upset or more stress while she's not feeling right. (It's not always easy to feed cats, is it!?)

There are lots of ways to go.about it but the easiest thing might be to try her on small amounts of canned food, increasing that while gradually phasing out her old food. Even if that doesn't resolve the itching, some lower carb foods could really help with her weight. Good luck!

Blaire0220 said:

She has been on the same food, weight loss science diet, for a good amount of time now, more than 3 months I would guess, so I don't believe it would be her food. She is about 15 pounds and should be at 12, however the weight loss food hasn't done a ton, trying to exercise her more! Should I just give her time to see if things get better? It has only been three days and she is able to lay down and rest. I can't tell how much pain she is in but I can tell slightly because she is not normal, but it doesn't seem like a high amount of pain, but then again who knows.I tried looking for fleas but me nor the vet had any luck.. I am hoping this flea treatment will help but they said it should work right away and she is still having symptoms.. But it has only been three days.. The symptoms just suddenly came on one day she was fine the next she is itchy and can't stay in the same spot for too long. Do you think her food still might have something to do with it even if she's been eating it for a decent amount of time? Thank you for your response! Such a worried owner!

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Okay - prepare for controversy   And please note, I speak only from personal experience, no formal training. 

I desperately dislike Science Diet, both the prescription and non-prescription foods. Over the years I've had many animals (dogs and cats) put on SD by a vet or other expert only to develop problems. The majority of SD foods are pumped full of chemicals and additives and most do not come from natural sources. I no longer will use any SD product since I've come close to losing both dog and cat on the diets. I've also known many animals to develop sensitivities after being on a food for months or longer. This is the weird part of food sensitivities: you'd think that if an animal was reactive to the food, it would happen in the beginning. But this is often not the case. Sometimes it takes months or longer before the buildup causes a problem for a cat. My gut reaction would be to take her off the SD and try another, more natural product. But you shouldn't expect instant results, it may take up to a week to see improvement. (longer possibly) 

If your cat is eating normally, drinking and using her liter box as normal, I wouldn't worry about pain. Cats almost always stop eating as soon as they feel real pain. I suspect she is uncomfortable, but not in pain - hopefully. I also wouldn't think of fleas. Typically if a cat has a flea reaction (the extreme itchiness being a primary sign) you would find fleas and/or dirt when running the flea comb over their body. 

When i first got my kitten i didnt know any better and got him science diet. But he had all these digestive issues which caused me to do a lot of research and i realized science diet and other grocery brands are pure crap. Even expensive ones like royal canine. It just depends on the ingredient list. I tossed the huge bag right away.

I am so glad I posted on here - you guys are so helpful!! I purchased Nature's Variety Instinct, it is grain free and seems to be quite natural and I noticed good reviews, seems better than science diet. Any experience using this cat food? And that definitely puts my mind at ease (I have made myself sick from worrying and stressing so much about her!), she seems to be eating, drinking, and using the bathroom normally. If anything I have noticed her drinking more water than usual (maybe from grooming so much?) and I checked her litter box and nothing seems out of the ordinary. So if that means that she is just uncomfortable and not in too much pain that is good to hear. I mixed the science diet with the new food and will start to put more of the new stuff in with the old stuff tomorrow, she has typically been good about switching over to new food.

And maybe it could just be the weather? She was in a studio apartment and now is in a new one bedroom apartment, would that maybe play a part? New environment over winter time? Although I've never noticed any issues in the past winters.. The only things that it seems like it could be is possibly feline hyperesthesia(but it isn't seizure like and doesn't occur in episodes which gives me hope that it is not this), fleas, dry skin, allergies....other than that, the vet and google haven't given me any other hints as to what it could be! I pray its not something internal... Thanks again everyone

kittyluv387 said:

When i first got my kitten i didnt know any better and got him science diet. But he had all these digestive issues which caused me to do a lot of research and i realized science diet and other grocery brands are pure crap. Even expensive ones like royal canine. It just depends on the ingredient list. I tossed the huge bag right away.

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So which brand do you use now? Have you had success? I purchased Nature's Valley Natural Instinct, it seems more natural and is grain free. Any thoughts or knowledge on that product in particular? Thanks

Blaire0220 said:

So which brand do you use now? Have you had success? I purchased Nature's Valley Natural Instinct, it seems more natural and is grain free. Any thoughts or knowledge on that product in particular? Thanks

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I never tried that one but just looked it up right now. Looks decent. For the chicken flavor theres only one non meat/fat ingredient in the first 5. My kitty ended up bring extremely sensitive, most cats arent as bad as mine. I spent hundreds of dollars and tried manh kinds of wet and dry. The only thing that worked is feeding raw. He couldnt even do a mixture of raw and canned or else he would have mushy poo. So hes on primal raw nuggets and is doing fine so far.

lots of cats are allergic to chicken. 

Natures Variety is a very good brand...the limited ingredient is excellent.

Oh my, I am sorry for your kitty and your wallet!! That must be quite frustrating. I tried to give my cat more natural wet food and just feeding raw but she wouldn't touch it, yet she adores fancy feast.. She seems to enjoy hard food and then the fancy feast wet food as a treat now and then. I'm sure having being extremely sensitive is even trickier though.. I'm glad the primal raw nuggets are doing well for your cat so far! Hopefully it will continue, so stressful to see our pets not doing well!

Artiemom said:

 
lots of cats are allergic to chicken. 

Natures Variety is a very good brand...the limited ingredient is excellent.

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Well I really hope my cat is not because I just purchased the chicken Natures Variety! She doesn't enjoy seafood as much, she's always been more chicken and turkey, so I don't believe she is allergic to chicken, but then again who knows... I'll have to just see if this food is successful and if not back to the drawing board! Maybe I will try something without chicken if I have no luck. I'm glad to hear another good review on Natures Variety! I realize now I typed in Natures Valley before and meant Natures Variety!

Blaire, that is ok....If your cat was allergic to chicken, I think you will be finding out soon.. just try to feed one food source at a time for a bit. Then you can monitor her reaction, if any--  just watch her symptoms.. keep a log of it, if you are able to..

This is the best way to find out if it is a food allergy...

an allergy can also be from anything added to the food.. lots of fillers like corn..animal digest, those are some other allergens...

I am not trying to scare you...I am just giving you some thoughts so you can beat the Vet to telling you about doing this. 

you can present the information to them and let them figure it out... I honestly feel that if you are not dealing with IBD or food allergies, a lot of the food the Vets sell are bad quality...

If you can try to do things on your own, you and your baby may be better off....

just from my experience.. I would use the prescription food for urinary tract issues, kidneys, or GI stuff .. but I would also look for alternatives...

sorry, I am not really making much sense.. I am just so exhausted...hope you can understand what I am really meaning by this...

((hugs)))

Blaire0220 said:

 
Oh my, I am sorry for your kitty and your wallet!! That must be quite frustrating. I tried to give my cat more natural wet food and just feeding raw but she wouldn't touch it, yet she adores fancy feast.. She seems to enjoy hard food and then the fancy feast wet food as a treat now and then. I'm sure having being extremely sensitive is even trickier though.. I'm glad the primal raw nuggets are doing well for your cat so far! Hopefully it will continue, so stressful to see our pets not doing well!

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Wow, it sounds like you've already been through a few dietary adventures with your cat! What, by the way, is her name?

I hope the Nature's Variety works for her. That's very decent food. Does your cat like Fancy Feast's pates? Those don't have any grains and would be good to feed to her. I have to say that, like @MTGAL, I'm not a fan of Science Diet, either, because they use so many grains. Some of their prescription foods do seem to work very well for cats with very specific illnesses but I'm glad you're trying something more natural for your cat! Fingers crossed that the Nature's Variety helps!

Also, you'd mentioned the weather: is the new apartment drier? I don't know where you live so don't know if you might be heating with steam heat radiators or something else that dries the air a lot. 

Blaire0220 said:

 
I am so glad I posted on here - you guys are so helpful!! I purchased Nature's Variety Instinct, it is grain free and seems to be quite natural and I noticed good reviews, seems better than science diet. Any experience using this cat food? And that definitely puts my mind at ease (I have made myself sick from worrying and stressing so much about her!), she seems to be eating, drinking, and using the bathroom normally. If anything I have noticed her drinking more water than usual (maybe from grooming so much?) and I checked her litter box and nothing seems out of the ordinary. So if that means that she is just uncomfortable and not in too much pain that is good to hear. I mixed the science diet with the new food and will start to put more of the new stuff in with the old stuff tomorrow, she has typically been good about switching over to new food.

And maybe it could just be the weather? She was in a studio apartment and now is in a new one bedroom apartment, would that maybe play a part? New environment over winter time? Although I've never noticed any issues in the past winters.. The only things that it seems like it could be is possibly feline hyperesthesia(but it isn't seizure like and doesn't occur in episodes which gives me hope that it is not this), fleas, dry skin, allergies....other than that, the vet and google haven't given me any other hints as to what it could be! I pray its not something internal... Thanks again everyone

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WHOA! You may have just identified a possible culprit. You just moved into a new apartment? How new? Is there carpeting? Rugs? New paint? Anything else new? New paint and carpet and a number of other household items can do what is called "off-gassing." Basically this is simply chemical gas that all manufactured materials create. Carpet (even good carpet) is notorious for creating allergies in cats, dogs and humans. Paint -- almost all types -- can do the same. Furniture, particularly soft furniture, is also known to create problems. What is truly puzzling for us is that some animals don't react until they have spent some time in the new environment. 

If the cat is eating, drinking and behaving normally, except for the itching, then it is very unlikely to be anything serious - so relax. Making yourself sick isn't going to help her and will only make things worse for both of you. Have you talked with your vet about giving the cat Benedryl? It can be very helpful if the cat is allergic to something other than food. WARNING: You will need to find someway of hiding the pill or using a pill gun because it tastes terrible and cats will reject any food with the pill inside. Anyway, speak to your vet about whether it might help. 

Her name is my username on here (because I'm a hopeless cat person!), Blaire.

And I haven't been able to tell a difference but I would assume this apartment may be drier now that I think about it.. I moved from WI to MN and have a few steam heat radiators in this apartment, and in the studio I am not sure what the heat came from, it was covered. So that could be a possibility! Now that it is winter the heat is being turned on a lot more, her and I have lived at the new place since June, so about 7 months. I feel like she would've had a reaction sooner but I suppose we didn't use the heat until about 1 or 2 months ago! Looks like my next step might have to be to get a humidifier to hopefully help!  

@MTGAL  Not extremely new but somewhat new! We have lived in this new apartment for about 7 months. It is a small one bedroom, the upper level in a home. There is carpeting, but it was deep cleaned when we moved in and it is vacuumed a decent amount, if that matters? However, since she has been having these issues she has been going into the kitchen which is hard wood.. I would assume because the carpet texture might irritate her itchy skin? Today she was out in the living room more though, but still enjoys laying in the kitchen most. We painted the walls when we first moved in but we did that the first couple of days of us being here.. I feel like 7 months would be a long time to finally react to the paint? Furniture wise how would we be able to tell if that is causing her issues? 

You are right, I am stressing too much! My biggest downfall is that I am a notorious worry wart. I am going out of town for four days tonight meaning I have to leave her at home with my boyfriend. I completely trust him with her and know he will take care of her but I can't help but be nervous about how she will be doing and if she is alright when he is gone 12 hours at work! But, she is eating, snoozing, drinking, all seems okay besides the uncomfort and irritation. Maybe its best I'm leaving so then she wont be affected by my stress and wont be creeped out as to why I'm checking on her every hour.

And I have not spoken to my vet about Benedryl. If it gets to a point where I have to take her back to the vet again and if I can confirm that it is in fact allergies then I most certainly will! They never even mentioned anything about allergies, all they wanted to do was radiographs and xrays since they couldn't tell anything from the outside.

It does seem like it would be odd for the apartment itself to suddenly cause a problem after seven months, though humidity can vary a lot depending on weather and use of heat. I'd probably see what happens with the food first then see if a humidifier might help. (We find them useful in the winter in Maine... we heat a lot with wood which really dries the air.)

And I know what you mean about worrying! I always worry about our cats when I go out of town, even though my husband takes great care of them. Here's hoping the food helps Blaire quickly!