Memory loss? Vision loss?

[cat's_pyjamas]

I have no idea what's wrong with my cat, Salt. He's acting really weird--as if everything in the room might eat him! His brother, Pepper, and adoptive sister Candy are both fine and normal, and Salt himself seems perfectly healthy except for a cut over one of his eyes.
To explain in more detail,
Salt, my 1-year-old tom, has recently started getting afraid of nearly everything, approaching towels, toys, shoes AND EVEN HIS FOOD-BOWL, as if they were all things from Jupiter and might bite him! Each time he gets afraid of something, he approaches the object ever so slowly --backing away from time to time-- and eventually gets close enough to hit it a few times. Afterword, when he's satisfied the food-bowl can't hurt him, he acts like nothing ever happened. Is this regular? Like, is it some sort of phase or something?
I was wondering if he might have hit his head and damaged his brain somehow, since I have no idea how he got the cut. Another idea I had was that his eye-sight might be getting worse, since his pupils are always somewhat dilated, and it's very rare that they actually turn into proper slits, as the eyes of his siblings do. I had feared he might be blind or deaf as a kitten, since he was white with blue eyes, and his pupils looked as if they were not black, but a dark red.
Any ideas as to what is wrong with him?

 

[farleyv]

Does he go outside? It sounds like some kind of neurological problem. There is no other way to deal with this but a vet visit. You have evidence of something happening around his head that being the cut.

The poor boy needs vet attention asap. Especially with the pupil involvement. I wouldn't hesitate to have him seen.

 

[strange_wings]

Even though his pupils always seemed more dilated, they did constrict under light, right? I have one that always has more dilated pupils than her brother and sister - there's nothing wrong with her. So that may have been unrelated and just coincidental.

He does need to go to the vet, though. It could be any number of things since cats can behave oddly when ill.

 

[cat's_pyjamas]

Yes, his pupils did constrict from time to time, though I can only ever remember it happening twice.
He does go outside, btw, he's an indoor/outdoor cat. Indoor at night, outdoor by day.
I forgot to mention, his mother, Boo, started acting in a similar way a few months back, but I never really thought much of it when it came to her because she was always a very skittish cat.
Maybe it's something in the genes? Like hereditary insanity?

I can't take him to the Vet 'til tomorrow, though, since he's closed for today.
I'm really worried about him. He's a really beautiful and loving cat, playful and affectionate. He has this habit of lifting his head when he wants it to be petted, and when he does that he makes this funny face, half-closing his eyes and purring as if I'm already petting him...!

I hope it's nothing really serious.

 

[strange_wings]

The fact that he goes outside suggest it was probably some sort of head trauma, maybe even from a car. Though, if his mother goes out too and had similar issues, maybe they're getting into something mildly toxic? Could you have a disgruntled neighbor that doesn't like cats pooping on their property?

Is there another vet you could go to?

 

[farleyv]

Its good you are getting him into the vet. for a easy explanation.

Please let us know what the dr. says.

 

[cat's_pyjamas]

I took my cat to the vet just now, but I don't think the vet cares a lot. I told him how Salt was acting and gave him my idea's about it, but he just skipped past it all. "Hmm. Well, his cut might be getting infected. I'll give him a shot, and then you can rub this ointment on this patch on his leg here, since it looks like it might be a case of fungus."
I don't think I'm taken seriously enough.

 

[bunchie62]

Like others have suggested, get another vet. Your Dr. isn't listening to you so why continue to pay for service you aren't getting and in the meantime, letting the problem go unevaluated and/or undiagnosed.

 

[bunchie62]

Correction... I misread another post. I don't believe anyone else has made this suggestion.

 

[cat's_pyjamas]

I would go to a new vet, but all the other ones that are said to be any good are hours away, and I don't like to inflict that kind of torture on my cats--them being scared and yowling the entire car-ride.
Still, I suppose I'll have to this time. Problem is, I won't be able to take him 'til Tuesday.