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Posted on 10/27/2004 2:08:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Cats can suffer from stress-related illness like humans, a study by animal experts suggests.
Rivalry with another cat is the biggest source of feline anxiety closely followed by moving home or the arrival of a new member of the owner's family.
Experts compared 31 cats with bladder disease to 24 healthy cats in the same households and used a control group of 125 other healthy cats.
Sick cats generally got more stressed by other cats in the house, they said.
Stress trigger
Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer in feline medicine at Edinburgh University's school of veterinary studies, said feline lower urinary tract disease was frustrating for vets and owners because most cases had no apparent cause.
"This group of diseases of the bladder is most commonly seen in pedigree, middle-aged, overweight male cats which don't go out much and eat a dry food diet.
"We believed stress could be a trigger and wanted to identify differences in the cats' environments and temperaments which might cause this condition."
University researchers suggest cats with such illnesses should be fed wet food and encouraged to drink more fluid by adding tuna-flavoured ice cubes to water.
The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals has welcomed the research.
Spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "We've always known cats are extremely sensitive and this study highlights a problem more widespread than previously thought."
Thanks so much. I'll check that out and show it to my hubby.
I can hide my dog's pills in food (she'll eat anything), but this cat is very smart about hiding and then spitting out the pills.
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Thank you! My poor nine are stressed out now because I am stressing about November 2nd... but normally they are pretty calm :)
You have freepmail.
And make sure to push the pill, with one fingertip, all the way at the back of the cat's tongue, almost pushing it down the throat.
My cat gets stressed when we have visitors. He hides until they leave. Since we never know where he hides when company comes over, we can't figure out if he watches the visitors or can sense when they leave. But he always manages to come out seconds after they walk out the door. LOL!
Have you tried crushing up the pills and putting it in a little bit of food or with something like tuna or another treat so that he would eat it all up?
Otherwise, the only way I could ever get my cat (who is now in kitty heaven) to take her pills was by gently holding her mouth open and then dropping the pill near the back of her throat - and hoping it was far enough back so she wouldn't be able to spit it out.
Same with one of my cats, except that not only does he not like strangers, he also hates to be held. If you pick him up, it'll take about 10 seconds before he starts meowing, LOUDLY.
This is the same cat that'll start purring if I so much as touch him. He'll run away (still purring) if he's had too much petting.
I guess he's just a very sensitive cat.
The other one will get right up into stranger's faces if they let him.
He's a bossy cat.
Same with one of my cats, except that not only does he not like strangers, he also hates to be held. If you pick him up, it'll take about 10 seconds before he starts meowing, LOUDLY.
This is the same cat that'll start purring if I so much as touch him. He'll run away (still purring) if he's had too much petting.
I guess he's just a very sensitive cat.
The other one will get right up into stranger's faces if they let him.
He's a bossy cat.
Thanks Brian, I have some experience in these matters and can take it from here. With a cat, what we're looking for is a conduit to pass the pill thru. Any small tube will do - metal, plastic, glass, steel pipe from Home Depot, ductwork, pyrex will work, too. If you don't have tubing lying around, solids will also work well if you jam them in and then lift up - a chopstick, for example. The main thing is to open a passage for the pill to pass thru. Remember, if you don't get the pill there, your cat could die - do you want that on your hands?
Cats all have their own personalities. Most of the cats that I've had didn't care for strangers. However, I once I had a cat that loved everyone. She would purr all the time, never cried, let anyone (including children) pick her up, and loved sitting on laps. She had cancer and passed away a couple of years ago. I still miss her.
The late Wimpy had hyperthyroidism when he was about 12 or 13. We tried the drugs before we went to the very expensive but very successful radioactive iodine treatment. Ask your vet about it. It's pretty expensive (it cost us $850 several years ago) but it actually solved the problem. The cost scared us off at first, so we tried the drug (I can't remember the name, but it's the same one they use for people) and he developed every side effect in the book--it's the only time in his life he ever felt really bad. If you can possibly, possibly afford it, radioactive iodine is the way to go. Wimpy went on to live 5 more happy years.
But in the meantime, giving a cat a pill takes some practice, but it involves opening his mouth with one hand and shoving the pill down his throat with your finger, preferrably all in one swift motion. The faster the better. It takes practice.
Your vet can sell or give you a special "pill-shooter" thingamajig that basically takes the place of your finger. It works pretty well.
Say, maybe you (or anyone here) can help me. A couple of weeks after Wimpy died (3/29/2003, bless his little old heart!) I got a new cat. She was almost a year old then, so she's a little over 2 years old now. She's not afraid of anybody, she's boisterous, loves to play and has lots of energy, and does all sorts of cute, strange, funny things. We've often thought about getting another cat just to keep her company, but are afraid of what might happen if things go wrong. Once I agree to take a cat permanently, then it's permanent. I don't believe in giving up a pet except for extraordinary circumstances.
To make a longer story short, we are going to give a kitten a trial weekend at our house. Her present owners also have a grown female, and she can't stand this kitten. The owners won't send it to the pound if it doesn't work out with us, but will give it to a no-kill rescue operation.
So I've got a grown spayed female, and I'm going to try to introduce an un-neutered male kitten and I need to see in the space of a weekend if this is something that will work out, or if it's going to be a disaster.
Any advice?
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