Worried Cat Mama

[Alicat140]

As of the past 8 weeks my senior cat has been acting off. We had begun giving him medications to treat a respiratory issue he had been coughing, sneezing, and wheezing all of a sudden - he is no longer doing this but now he is suffering from other issues. My concern is due to how often he is meowing. He's always been the type of cat to meow when he wants attention, but the meows have become almost constant. He meows very broken and high-pitched, and it sounds like he is in pain. I've taken him to the vets and got xrays on his lungs and they were enlarged - haven't gotten any xrays since administering the medications to him but the symptoms disappeared so I assumed it was not that.

I had put this off for the past 2 weeks due to my other cat having his own issues (he doesn't have insurance unlike this senior cat) needing medical attention. Younger cat is back to normal and healthy, but senior cat is requiring constant attention. My boyfriend stays home and gives him attention for 4+ hours of the day and sleeps with him on the same bed, and he is fed regularly (currently on a diet to lose weight for the lung issue) and drinking enough water, using the litter box regularly, etc.

He is lying on his side quite often always the same side on cool surfaces, and positions himself so that it doesn't have too much pressure on his gut. Along with the nearly constant broken meowing sometimes, and the vets not coming up with any ideas for what's wrong... I am totally confused. I can get a pre-approval for xrays or biopsy if necessary, but do not want to cause his body unnecessary stress. He has a horrid time taking medication, the vets technicians were completely unable to administer medication with 2 of them holding him. They were being so rough I was worried they were going to cause him harm!


I have tried playing with him more often, giving more cuddles, changing to wetfood diet, changing litters...

In the past his paw was hurt when the previous owner declawed him and since he always claws at things, he sometimes get infections on his paw pads. It is possible this has begun to act up again, but it seems unlikely due to his paws looking standard.

Sorry if this is a bit of a rant. I just do not know where to start for figuring out what is wrong with him.

 

[Alicat140]

Also, since I don't know how to edit post:

He recently has started trying to eat non-food items. Clumps of hair, feathers, even rocks! The latter is especially concerning to me. It's winter here, so typically rocks get dragged in on my boots, and just today he started trying to eat that ._.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sounds as if your kitty may be developing some cognitive issues that come with age. Only a good vet can tell you for sure, though. Or perhaps he may be developing hearing issues, that can cause excessive meowing, as well. Just try to keep the small, inedibles picked up until you can have him checked by your vet. Also, ask for a referral to a geriatric specialist if that is feasible for you. And be sure to let us know how he is doing! Poor baby. I'm glad he has such a caring guardian on board!

 

[duckpond]

I am sorry for the kitty's problems, he does sound uncomfortable. I would definitely keep up with a vet and try to figure it out! Best of luck to you guys.

 

[epona]

If it was only a couple of things that you'd said, I would have suggested age-related deafness, or cognitive issues.

The other symptoms you describe I think deserve further investigation though tbh - if his voice has changed and he has developed pica (eating non-food items), that could be a symptom of thyroid problems, or possibly digestive issues.

I would say if there are further tests that you can have done, it would be a good idea.

Good luck, and headrubs to your sweet boy

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Poor kitty!
Do you think part of why he is meowing more is he could be hungry if on a diet? If it's definitely a recent, intense change for him (the meowing), I can see why you're concerned that he's been "off" his game lately. What was the medicine he was given for the respiratory issues? Is he still on that? If it was steroids (and he's still on them?), that can raise the cat's blood glucose and make him feel even hungrier.

But you might want to make sure there is not something serious going on with any of his internal organs or health. I suppose if it were me, I'd have x-rays done again, not only a recheck on his lungs but I also would have abdominal x-rays while you are at it. If it's possible he's ingesting things laying around the house, that's a concern, too. Doing a senior blood panel would be a great idea & might help the vet figure out if anything needs addressed -- senior cats can have health issues deveiop quite quickly and that's why it's usually a good idea to have senior cats go through a vet visit/ "well-check" about every six months, if you can.

 

[Alicat140]

Mamanyt1953 : Do you suppose at 11 years old that would be considered senior in regards to aging issues?

The diet is a recent change, just a few weeks ago actually. He's been incessant with food demands since we started limiting his food intake xD Definitely wouldn't hurt to get things checked out for digestive issues -- he's already been in twice for intense vomiting and the runs, so would likely fall under the already paid deductible for that.

He was given a pill-form steroid for about a month before he got switched over to Flovent inhaler. Since being prescribed that we have fortunately only needed to dose him a handful of times (and he haaaates it). I'll look into getting some more x-rays and blood work done for him, goodness knows the blood results could have changed in the four months since his original visit!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Does he have asthma then? If he is using a Flovent inhaler and it's helped his symptoms (coughing, wheezing), asthma is a chronic condition and usually isn't controlled well if the inhaler is not given at least once a day. Regular dosing keeps the inflammation and mucus down, so just dosing a handful of times may not be fully helping. The dosage can vary a bit depending on the severity of asthma/ coughing/ breathing issues, like one or two actuations of the inhaler with varying full breaths taken by the cat when the inhaler is placed. What did the vet prescribe for him?

 

[Alicat140]

@PushPurrCatPaws: 1 puff once daily, twice daily if having active attacks. He started last week but struggled with allowing us to dose him the first few days, just like with the pills. He's on a low dose since the twice daily half a pill (then rotated to once every other day) had been relieving the symptoms to a deg

 

[Mamanyt1953]

11 might be a little young, but, as with humans, the symptoms of aging can very wildly in individuals! It is certainly worth looking into along with the other suggestions here!