11 year old cat lethargic + hiding

[Catparent9898]

Our 11 year old girl has taken to hiding and not being her usual self in the past 2 weeks. We took her to the vet on Monday - all blood work came back fine, no issues. Went back in on Thursday and has Xrays, blood pressure, heart assessed. Again, no issues … just a bit of gas in her belly.
They prescribed her a steroid to stimulate her appetite and reduce any possible nausea.
She’s eating, drinking, and using litter box but doesn’t want to jump or move…continues to hide and is very lethargic.

We’re at a loss…has this happened to your cat? We will likely head back to vet again next week but any similar situations would be helpful to discuss with them. Thank you!!

 

[MissClouseau]

did they check her physically well for any injury? Was arthritis discussed?

 

[Catparent9898]

Yes they did a physical exam and checked for range of motion and all seemed ok… arthritis was not discussed, but seems odd to us that it would be suddenly onset like this. Is that normal for cats?

 

[MissClouseau]

Yes they did a physical exam and checked for range of motion and all seemed ok… arthritis was not discussed, but seems odd to us that it would be suddenly onset like this. Is that normal for cats?

I can’t speak with personal experience but subtle signs may be missed. So what seems like “sudden onset” may not be all that sudden.

Is your kitty a tabby or a breed like Scottish fold?

 

[Catparent9898]

She’s a tabby…

 

[fionasmom]

Testing for Decreased Appetite with Listlessness
Lethargy in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost
HELP - Lethargic, yowling cat, tests all normal.

You have certainly tried to get to the bottom of this issue with your cat. Lethargy and decreased appetite can be very hard to diagnose and will sometimes be unclear even with standard tests. One question, it is the steriods that restored the appetite? How much longer will she be on that or have you started to wean her off of it already?

The three articles are not meant to alarm you. Logically, your cat does not have all, or maybe any, of those conditions and some are mutually exclusive of each other. It might help you to look down the lists and see if anything stands out as an additional symptom or a condition that you might ask your vet about.

 

[Catparent9898]

Thank you everyone for the help! I have some additional questions for our next vet visit.
Good news is that she came out of hiding 3x today so hoping for good things ahead! She’s truly a blessing to our family and we hate to see her uncomfortable

 

[silent meowlook]

Just curious, any plants in the house? Do you use essential oils or diffusers? Does your cat go outside?

 

[Catparent9898]

Change in events today and the cat woke up blind … pacing and walking next to walls to help determine where she was at. Did not recognize us standing but if we clapped or snapped she could find us. Back to the vet in hopes this is a temporary event. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and insight

 

[silent meowlook]

I am so sorry. Please let us know what the vet finds out.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Make sure they check her blood pressure - that is not typically part of a standard vet check up. Elevated blood pressure would explain sudden blindness, and might be tied to her previous symptoms as she was not feeling well. Also, please ask the vet if the steroids could be behind this new development.

Hoping the best! Keep us posted.