Very social cat hiding for no apparent reason

[silverpersian]

Our little guy has been hiding under the bed for almost 24 hours. He hasn't eaten, but he has urinated once. He came out for a treat once, and seemed fine -walking normally, eyes clear, etc. He didn't even come out for the treat after that, which is very strange.
I wouldn't be worried if he wasn't so social. He is always sitting very close to us. We haven't had company or bathed him or anything. He ate well yesterday before he went into hiding.
Is this cause for concern or am I being paranoid?

 

[mservant]

If your little cat is usually confident and social this hiding is a significant change and indicates something important is going on for your cat.  I don't think you are being paranoid at all.  24 hours is a long time for a cat established in their home to hide so I would not take it lightly.

Have you provided food, water and litter in a place your cat will approach and feel comforable with from their hiding place?

First thing to think about is whether he might be feeling sick or in pain, and if so arrange a vet appointment as soon as possible.  Cats do not generally show pain but will often hide away if they are feeling unwell / in pain and that is what alerts us humans to there being an issue.

Were you at home before and when he went in to hiding?  Would you know if there had been any stange or very loud noises, strong vibrations in the property, or if he might have seen something that frightened or spooked him?  At a window or in the home such as a large spider or something he might know was dangerous? 

I hope this is some sudden fright he has had and he comes out of his safe place soon, but if there is any chance he might be unwell please do not ignore this behaviour.

 

[di and bob]

It sounds like an injury or a bad fright. The injury you might check out by gently stroking him and trying to find any sore spots. If he just seems frightened, then there is nothing you can do except to assure him everything is all right, talk gently to him, and offer yummy treats. If he doesn't start coming around in another day, call your vet.  Good luck and keep us posted with what you find!

 

[silverpersian]

Thanks for the responses. My guesses were the same - bad fright or injury. We were at home, and did not notice anything that might have prompted the fright. We have tried gently stroking him. He doesn't seem to mind. He is alert. I will bring his food and water closer.

I will keep you posted.

 

[silverpersian]

I went home from work to check on him. He is usually waiting at the door for me, because he can hear the garage door open. Not this time. He was still under the bed, and had not eaten. I got him to come out. He was walking fine, eyes were fine, did not mind being petted, but was very lethargic. I was debating whether or not I should take him to the vet when he sneezed and I saw thick, bloody discharge. He is at the vet's office now.

I have no idea of what is happening. He has herpes, but it was very well under control with lysine and lactoferrin. It always showed up in his eyes, and we always caught it right away.

We suspected an allergy to chicken, so I transitioned him to beef (homemade raw) about a day before all of this happened. He was ate three meals of beef just fine. The beef seemed fresh and was from Sam's Club. The liver was from Whole Foods. Eggs were local and very fresh. Everything smelled and looked fine. He has not vomited and his bowel movements and urination seem fine, so I doubt that the food has anything to do with it. Does anyone suspect the food?

 

[mservant]

Just as well you are a caring cat parent and went home to check on your little guy over lunch.  I guess the reason for hiding is answered in a way at this point but I am sorry it is with a health issue.  My understanding with alergies (like food)  is that any discharge from irritation is usually pretty clear and if blood involved it is more likely to be with a fungal infection, foreign body or something along those lines.  I guess it could be the herpes but I haven't experienced anything like that with Mouse who tends to get runny eyes and a sore mouth.  I hope your vet is able to give you an answer quickly and your cat is more comfortable very soon.  

Let us know how he's doing if you can.

 

[psychocat0604]

Ohh no 

 I hope he is okay <3 It is so SCARY when something is wrong with your furbaby *Prayers for your guy*

 

[silverpersian]

Thanks to all for your warm wishes. They really help!

Kitty to back to normal! He was diagnosed with a URI and given a B12 shot, a pain reliever (flunixin), and an antibiotic (azythromycin). I have to continue the antibiotic and give him saline nasal drops. It is unbelievable that the treatment worked so quickly. He is eating and inspecting and responsive now.

Our vet recommended immunostimulant therapy with polyprenyl. He believes that this URI is related to the herpes. Weird, because that usually shows up in his eyes, and they are crystal clear now.

Has anyone used polyprenyl?

Thanks again!

Edited to correct a typo.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I'm going to move this to Health for you since it turned out to be a health issue. 

 

[mycatwasthebest]

~~I know nothing about cat herpes or any meds, but am now wondering how old he is and if his blood pressure and thyroid have been checked recently. Also he is beautiful but I'm curious if you switched foods because of a weight issue...very glad he rebounded so quickly!

 

[mservant]

Very interested in the polyprenyl.  I haven't heard of it before but about to go and take a look and read up on it for Mouse as his gums are looking a bit red this week.

Great that your boy is looking better already. 

   Hope all those meds get rid of all the nasty bugs and stuff and he gets back on top of the herpes.

 

[catpack]

We are looking to use the polyprenyl for 2 of our rescues...one of which has herpes and is currently recovering from double entropion surgery. The other is a kitten who is sick (not herpes) and the only current diagnosis is "failure to thrive."

We should be getting the medication for the kitten soon.

(For those who have not read about Polyprenyl Immunostimulant yet, it is currently being used to treat the herpes virus AND the *dry* form of FIP.)

 

[silverpersian]

mycatwasthebest,

I am so sorry that your cat "was" the best. I hope that you get another wonderful cat soon.

Our kitty is eight months old. I doubt that his blood pressure or thyroid have been checked, because he hasn't had any health issues other than minor herpes flare-ups. I changed his food from chicken to beef because he was scratching behind his ears a lot. Our vet guessed that he might be allergic to poultry. He eats well - about 6 oz of homemade raw per day. It is effectively more than that, because the 6 oz number does not include the water I add when I serve the food. He weighs eight pounds. Is that low? His breeder mentioned that his father weighs around eight pounds.

MServant,

Here is a link to the original study on Polyprenyl

http://www.vet.utk.edu/research/fip/FIPpolyprenyl.pdf

And a link to the manufacturer:

http://www.vetimmune.com/go/

I don't know what the cost of the treatment will be. I am waiting on a call from our vet with that information.

CatPack,

I hope it works very well for both of your cats.

 

[mycatwasthebest]

sp-thank you

I'm not a vet but 8 lbs seems a little much for his age...am I wrong guys?

 

[silverpersian]

Aw! I doubt that the little guy is overweight. If anything, he seems a little on the thin side. Hard to say considering all the hair!

Our vet has given me a price quote for the Polyprenyl treatment - $157 for a two-week, twice-a-day course. That's not bad considering that it costs me around $70 per office visit every time he has a bad herpes outbreak.

I will update the thread once I start the treatment in a couple of weeks.

 

[cheddi]

Cats hide when they are sick.  Cats are prey animals.  We think of them as predators, but they are also prey, in the wild, to larger animals.  A sick cat feels very vulnerable, and hides.