VetAdviceForFree Feline Q and A

I would make sure he is properly dewormed. He might be better of with one of the many nutritional additives for skin and coat that are available on the market. Step two, if you and your vet feel there is a need to investigate further, is to perform blood tests to make sure there is nothing wrong with internal organs and to rule out possible ectoparasites or fungal diseases etc.

Dear Vet. My nine year old male cat and the 2 year old male cat next door hate each other. The hate each other so much, my cat has lost a fang tooth, one of his back toes and had to have surgery on his third eyelid. Don't get me wrong, he also gives as good as he gets! We now work on a rota system with the people from next door, when our cat is out - their cat is in etc. I spoke to a nurse at our local practice, who suggested spraying each cat with water if they ventured onto the other cats territory and to place them both in cat baskets next to each other over a period of weeks until they both calmed down.

So far, so good they don't go crazy when they are next to each other now - but we are still scared to let them out in case they both attack each other. Do you have any suggestions of anything else we should be doing? We are also using Feliway to calm both cats down. Any help would be appreciated.

My cat is about 5-7 years old (she was a stray) and we get on famously. We now have an 8 month old baby and I have been very careful to preserve her place of importance even with the new addition. A couple times we have accidentally locked her out of her litter closet and she responded by defecating in a potted tree or bringing her stools out of the litter box and leaving them in the hall just outside her litter closet. This seemed a situational problem. Today, however, we found diarrhea outside her box and she seems sleepy and more affectionate than usual (she seems to want lots of attention when she doesn't feel well or has had some sort of stress). She also smells horrible, I actually thought that one of the strays that frequent our neighbourhood sprayed her because it has that sort of scent and usually she is a very clean putty. Do cats get colds that will pass in a few days or is this something I should always see a vet about? Thanks very much.

A spell of diarrhea doesn’t need to cause trouble. But if she seems sleepy because of it I would advice you to ask your vet to have a look at her, even if it’s just one of those mild infections that will pass in a day or two. To see or not to see the vet… It’s always difficult (or sometimes even dangerous) to answer that question with yes or no. I usually respond ‘when in doubt, ask someone to have a look at your pet, rather on one or two occasions when not needed then the opposite’.

Our male tabby had a nose infection 2 months ago. He had a slight fever & had stopped eating. We had a series of tests done, all of which came back negative & with the help of some antibiotics the problem appeared to be clearing up.

However it was never fully cured, & he has started to deteriorate again. His nose is blocked, he doesn't eat & has lost about 2 kilos in weight. He is a little dehydrated & has a few ulcers on the roof of his mouth. His pupils are also permanently dilated. We have tried everything we can think of & are getting desperate. Many thanks for your help.

I think most vets would test for FeLV, FIV and FIP. These are virus diseases that will, in short, cause malfunction of the immune system. Maybe he has already been tested for these viruses but even if he has there is nothing wrong with an additional test / re-testing.

What else could we be dealing with? A tumour in the nose (uncommon) or a polyp or similar? Or a foreign body (usually grass)? A rhinoscopy (looking up the nose with an endoscopy) could be very helpful in making a diagnosis. A problem is that a cat has a small nose.

Worth mentioning is that feline flu is sometimes very time consuming until it has cleared completely. Cats that are vaccinated do sometimes get symptoms if infected but these cats don’t get as ill and tend to get well quicker.

My Birman female had her first litter in February unfortunately the first one got stuck and I had to take her to the Vet. The vet delivered the kitten but it was dead, a second kitten was also born dead. The vet then had to operate to deliver the remaining kitten which was fine. All was ok after that and the kitten has now gone to a new home. I would like to know how long to leave my cat before I breed from her again. Also as she seems to be calling continually, which is driving my husband mad, I have asked the vet for some Perlutex. The vet feels however that she may have had some hormonal problems with the delivery and it would probably be better not to put her on tablets. I appreciate your advice and any suggestions you may have to keep both hubby sane and the cat in peak condition. Thanking you.

I do know many people that avoid putting breeding queens on ‘the pill’ just in case… but in a case like this I certainly wouldn’t hesitate, I would definitely use the tablets. You and your husband must have quality of life as well!

Hello Doctor. Yesterday, I noticed my 3 year old DLH blinking only with his right eye. The left side of his face would not move at all. He can use his third eyelid, but it appears that the whole left side of his face is paralysed. I tickled the hair in his ear, nothing. I think he can still see out of the eye though. He has been a very healthy cat. There are no toxic substances in our home he could've gotten into. I checked inside his mouth for possible chemical burns or ulcers, nothing. There are no swellings anywhere on his face. I was a veterinary tech. for 6 years and really never saw anything like it before, unless it was say an elderly 'stroke' patient. This condition does not seem to be bothering him. He is still eating, drinking and playing. I'm very concerned about this apparent paralysis. Can you give me any possible ideas of what could be causing this? Any idea where the Vet would start looking should I take him in? Thank you for your time.

Facial paralysis is very rare in cats, I agree. A look in the literature supports our views (that it is rare) and also offers guidance; the most common causes of damage to cranial nerve VII (the nerve giving signals to the muscles of the face) are trauma, middle ear infection or a tumour creating a pressure on the nerve. Your cat is young so the last alternative is the least likely.

I hate to ask you this question because I went to your website and all the questions were from cat lover's. Not that I don't like cats, but I don't own one. My question is this: Around the outside of my house smells horribly like cat urine, I have tried mothballs (someone told me that they don't like the scent), and that didn't work. Any suggestions? Is there another scent that cats do not like? Help, please, it's embarrassing! Not to mention disgusting.

However, if a circus is visiting town, try to get some lion dung. It’s supposed to be a proven fact that cats will understand the dung is from a very big cat, and thus avoid the place. I haven’t seen a circus for years…

She is two years old female house cat. Since we have had her she has had a bad limp on her two back legs. They seem to bend outwards. The limp seems to come and go. Also she has never once purred or miaowed since we got her, but occasionally makes strangulated squeaks at the birds! Otherwise she seems to be quite healthy.

However she can be very aggressive and most days hisses and tries to scratch us. She seems terrified of us moving about and often sits with one paw in the air ready to strike! She won't take treats from us and we cannot get near her to get her to pick her up or catch her. If she sees us she just flees. Strangely though she always crawls into bed on a night and this does not seem to bother her. When we purchased her she had been drugged with homeopathic liquid so we did not realise she was so difficult to get hold of. We are worried in case we are doing something wrong to cause her to be so scared.

Could there be any medical reason for this behaviour? And how do we catch her to take her to the vets when we can't get close enough to throw a towel over her let alone put her in a box? Thank you

I’m afraid it’s impossible to comment on any possible medical reasons for this behaviour. And I must say that I haven’t found anything wrong with most cats that I’ve examined with a similar history, it just seemed to be in their nature. A point is that just because a vet doesn’t find anything wrong doesn’t mean there isn’t anything wrong… Just a few thoughts: is this cat suffering from pain in the hip or back? Or was it born in the wild? Those cats often seem to be semi-wild for the rest of their life.

I’m worried about my cat...she is nearly 3 years old and has recently (last month or so) had the WORST breath! Also, she has had a slightly wet (with clear fluid) nose. Also, in the last 2 days or so she has been extremely loving which is NOT her style.... Normally she attacks me which doesn't bother me because it's kind of a game.... Along with the affection, she has started sleeping all day and night and she hasn't wanted to go out much... I have a feeling that this is some sort of cold.... But I want to find out more about the bad breath because I have heard that it can be a symptom of heart problems or something else serious... Thanks in advance for any help you can provide

Usually the breath problem is a symptom of the cat’s (or dog’s) urgent need of a dental clean up. Cats tend to be worse of with their dental health if they have a kidney problem. There is no connection between halitosis and cardiac disease. If she has a runny nose and seems to be tired, I think you should call your vet for an appointment.

My cat is about 10 yrs old he's a lively cat that goes out but today he has had symptoms of having a lot of saliva drooling from his mouth and at times just vomiting saliva he has also started to cough he has lost his appetite as well. Any ideas? Many thanks

I have a 7 month old tabby cat who was part of a rescue litter. I got him when he was 7 weeks old. Twice I had to have him treated with ALBON because he had bloody diarrhea. There were no parasites detected in the stool samples that were done but the medicine did clear up the problem. Tonight I noticed that again he was having bloody diarrhea so I put him again on ALBON. Also he has had two respiratory infections in the past 2 months. I have 2 dogs and 2 other cats all of who are healthy. He is in indoor cat. Is there anything that I should have my vet test him for besides parasites that could be causing these problems? He eats well and is playful. Thank you for the advice

The most common reason young cats have diarrhea or blood in stools is greedy eating. They eat more than they can handle! So apart from other treatments mentioned, don’t forget to give less food for the nearest days / week.

I just moved into an apartment and my roommate used to have cats. Apparently they used to sleep in what is currently my bed. I am now unfortunately covered in fleabites. We bombed the room, and washed everything, but could they be living on me? Also, how long will the bites take to heal and stop itching? Do you have any suggestion on what would help the itching? This is so embarrassing and uncomfortable. Please help or refer me. Thanks.

The fleas shouldn’t be able to reproduce from your blood. That doesn’t make the bites less uncomfortable or less embarrassing to guests. When / if you spray the apartment the adult fleas will die. The problem is that it is very difficult to kill the eggs. Any pet store / vet clinic should have products designed for these matters. Use them and vacuum the apartment on an extra regular basis.

I have an 8 year old Abyssinian cat. Since she was very young she has suffered from "eating herself". I think its probably called overgrooming! Trips to the vet always end in a cortisone injection, which works very quickly. However, as she has got older the incidences have become more frequent. In the last year they have occurred every 3 or 4 months and now it is happening again and its only 6 weeks since our last visit. Is there anything else that can be done. I have tried to think of everything, which could start her off but cannot work out what it can be. She just seems to start licking and scratching till she gets a raw patch and then starts somewhere else. As they seem to be getting closer, I am worried that we will end up going every week for an injection. She does not seem to have any side effects but it cannot be good for her to keep having them? Please help I am so worried! Thank you very much.

A skin problem, responding to steroids but the cat needs treatment more frequently. A worrying scenario for both owners and vet, I can assure you. I’m afraid it’s impossible to say what causes these problems (the cause of the allergic reaction). Is it the food? It is said that food allergy is a lot more common among cats than in the canine species. Usually the cat has been on the diet given for years. Your cat could also be allergic to something in its surroundings, ex pollen or dust mites, but usually this causes asthma in the feline species. Worth mentioning is clomipramine which has anxiolytic properties (cause blocking of the reuptake of serotonin) which makes it useful in treating stereotypic conditions.

Hi! We recently bought a black male persian cat. The problem is we think he has been dyed black, as when we bath him the water always turns black and he's started to go brown, is there any possible way that you could dye a cat? Or is he just very dirty? And more importantly will he have any skin conditions because of the stupid person who did this?

My cat who is sort -of Tonkinese [half Burmese, half Siamese] sprays in the house -whenever he feels angry or upset, if he's not fed immediately on demand or if he's just in a mood. He is a neutered male, 7 years old and did not start this awful habit until he was nearly 4 and we moved into this house. He started in the bath but has now graduated to the furniture. He knows it is wrong, so runs into a room, miaows loudly, sprays something, and then dashes out with us shouting. We have tried using the indoor plant water sprayer [which he hates] if we catch him in the act. I know there is no point in disciplining after the act or rubbing his nose in it like a dog but it is becoming a big problem. Some days he seems worse. They are indoor cats and get on well so it is definitely not just from stress.

PLEASE can you suggest anything that could stop this? We have Feliway but it's a bit hard to spray the whole house! Any suggestions however would be gratefully received. We have had 2 spray free days so are due for another bad one soon! Thanks!

Ettinger: Urine spraying is more common in multiple cat households and can be difficult to solve if there is concurrent aggression. Spraying can be seen in both neutered and intact males and females. We must distinguish spraying from elimination behaviour. Spraying is usually (but not always) directed onto a vertical surface, and the amount of urine deposited is usually (but not always) small. Medical causes must be eliminated; 20% of spraying cats have some urinary tract disorder.

Psychoactive drugs are the most effective treatment for spraying because the stimuli that elicit spraying (other cats in the household) are probably going to persist. This means using anxiolytics and antidepressants and other drugs with CNS effects.

Progesterone may also be effective by their CNS hormonal feedback and CNS relaxing effects. Repeated administration of high dosages is necessary for a significant effect. However, decreasing effect may be observed as time goes by.

Feliway contains pheromones. The cat can smell these... and they are supposed to sometimes help with this behaviour pattern. Usually it is recommended spraying the product on horizontal surfaces where the cat seems to like spraying... and on corners sticking out, such as table corners / furniture.

I have a female cat aged 11 years. About 6 weeks ago she developed a swelling next to her left ear, this went down in about 2 days. 2 weeks later she developed a swelling above her right eye, which stopped her opening her eye. This again went down in 2 days. 2 days ago, about 2 weeks since the last swelling, she developed another swelling this time above her left eye, she was unable to open her eye again and it was weeping a clear liquid. Today, 2 days later, the swelling has completely disappeared again. Whilst she has these swellings my cat still appears happy in herself, her appetite remains the same and when pressed the swellings do not appear to cause her pain. Please could you give any advice on what these swellings could be? Thank you.

Hi there' I have an extremely sick cat, who we are at our wits end about. Please can you help? We have had him 10 years but don't know his age as he was a stray. He is a neutered male, who about 6 weeks ago started to lose an awful lot of weight. We had him screened and he showed a slight raise in the white blood cells and a slight dysfunction of the kidneys. Nothing really conclusive. He was then x-rayed as the vet thought she could feel a slight enlargement of one kidney. Again inconclusive as all the x-ray showed was a slight enlargement of one kidney, no other lumps or bumps. Slight "kidney" smell on breath as well. Put on antibiotics and science diet. After about a week he seemed to be having trouble standing for long and only ate food when encouraged too. Usually a piggy cat!

Back to vets as an inpatient, put on different antibiotics. Swelling of hocks and back legs then became apparent and B began to become distressed so vet advised enough was enough. Went to vets next day and B had been on painkillers, anti-inflammatories and yet more antibiotics, and seemed to be slightly better. So, we thought we would leave him for another day or two and go back for him on Monday. He seemed to be happier, eating well, standing up to eat and using his tray with a bit more ease. However, although I trust my vet implicitly, (she is a very good friend and would do her utmost for my cat and me) I am 2 hours drive away now and It is difficult to get to see the cat and see for myself. My vet now thinks that he has taken a turn for the worse again, and feels he may not go on much longer on the pain killers and anti inflammatories.

Please help as I can't bear not knowing what is wrong. If there is no hope then we must have him put to sleep straight away to stop any more suffering, but if there is a cure that we haven't found then I need to know. He is a much loved member of the family and we will go to the end of the Earth if necessary. He is on homeopathy to support his kidneys and also to boost his immune system. Any ideas?

Not really. I can only advice you to discuss a referral to a larger veterinary clinic / internal medicine specialist who probably can perform more diagnostic tests (since we don’t seem to have a diagnosis). However, in some cases a definite diagnosis can only be obtained through an autopsy (meaning there is no way to find out until it’s all over).

Hi! I have a four year female short hair domestic cat. She doesn't go out and is the only pet in the house. She is a very affectionate cat and follows me everywhere. The problem is that sometimes she bites very aggressively and sometimes draws blood. She will be sat on my knee sometimes for five minutes sometimes for an hour and then will suddenly turn and bite. It's not as if I am doing anything in particular to cause her to do this and it is also not like she has had enough and wants to get down off my knee. She will also suddenly come over and jump at me and bite, it doesn't matter what arm, leg, face. I don't understand. She has lots of toys and a scratching post. Can you help? Thank you in advance.

This following is from Feline Medicine and Therapeutics. ‘If an aggressive attack upon another cat / dog / owner brings some advantage to the cat, it’s more likely to be repeated. Learning processes of this sort are undoubtedly the basis for many reported incidents of cats suddenly beginning to attack their owners. A playful pat to the ankles of the owner, inadvertently reinforced by feeding or opening a door, can be quickly consolidated into more determined ambush and injures.’

Hello, I was wondering if you might know what I can do to help my 13 year old male tuxedo cat to "feel" better about being converted from an indoor/outdoor lifestyle to an all indoor. We brought him indoors 2 years ago & brought home a female tuxedo cat for companionship. Both love each other & play & clean each other...

The problem is my male, will go to the window, see other cats out, and I am sure miss his freedom. Hence, he has a very sad howl-like cry... I feel for him & wonder: is there anything we could do to ease his missed outdoor freedom? Thank you!

We just got a new kitten two days ago. On the paperwork we received it said that the cat received a deworming treatment on August 22 (Strongid T). Yesterday morning the kitten threw up green stuff and had started having diarrhea. Last night he was not as playful as he had been the previous day. Today the same story however I notice that there is long skinny worms in the litter box. Also worms still half in and half out of the rear end. He seems really sleepy and doesn't want to play at all. Is this normal or should we be concerned?

I have an overweight RAGDOLL cat. She is on a special diet but has an eating disorder in that she will eat anytime and as much as you put down...(she has even eaten vomit from our other cat...if I'm not there to clean it up right away). She definitely has an eating disorder and the breeder had to put her brother to sleep because of the same problem. She is constantly whining for food...do you have any suggestions? Is there anything that can be done, short of a special diet and letting her whine constantly to eat? Thanks.

I can’t say anything concerning treatment without a diagnosis. Your vet will be glad to discuss caloric intake and investigate possible reasons. A number of metabolic conditions are associated with obesity (such as hyperadrenocorticism (overactive adrenals), insulinoma (insulinproducing tumour), hypothalamic dysfunction etc).

I brush him at least once a week. He does not scratch the area, nor is it read or irritated. He eats a diet of dry cat food, water, and occasional soft cat treats. He is not permitted to have dairy or people food. Is there anything I can do to help him with this problem?

A question concerning dandruff has already been posted but ok, here we go: Keratinocytes (cells, top layer of skin) are born to die. When there are too much of the stuff, we call it dandruff. This is not common in cats. If it seems to be dry it could be caused by shortage of fat, ectoparasites such as fleas, fungi (dermatophytes), diabetes, hyperthyroidism or some other systemic disease. The more oily type is seen when there is a liver problem.

I am concerned about my cat Savi aged 6, it has some sort of cold at the moment I think. Each time it eats some food, afterwards it crouches down and it starts choking with stomach moving in and out, like it is trying to be sick. It has been like this for over a week, at the start Savi was very sick but now it seems Savi is having difficulty either swallowing or digesting food. Have you any advice you can give on what could be wrong, and/or what to do? I look forward to your response. Much appreciated.

There are many possible reasons for this behaviour. Concerning swallowing: there are certain pathological processes in the back of the mouth that are not uncommon in the feline species. One of them is a sort of allergic reaction, which tends to be easily treated with steroids. Squamous cell carcinomas (a sort of cancer) are not uncommon either. We could be dealing with a sore tooth. Or a severe stomach problem (concerning digesting). In short, in investigation is called upon to find an answer so I think you should contact your vet.

I see no reason for this not to be ok. I take for granted we are talking treats, not what you mainly feed your cat. Please note that the risk of food poisoning is higher with all raw sorts of food. It’s not unique in any way for cats to be allergic to fish (these cats tend to get skin problems).

I am writing in regards to my cat, which is a tabby, roughly 11-13 years old and female. Two weeks ago, she was diagnosed in having a hyperthyroid. She's been on medication ever since she's be diagnosed but lately she's been acting abnormal. She is licking herself extensively and scratching the neck area a lot. Plus, she is an outdoor cat and has all her vaccinations but she is going out and not coming back till many hours later (e.g. 10 hours) as compared to her normal half hour excursions. Are these symptoms of her being in heat or is this part of her becoming back to normal because of the medication? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you

My cat threw up for about 3 days and had a clear nasal discharge. I took him to my vet and he kept him for two nights to monitor him. He said the cat was dehydrated and had probably ingested something that made him sick. I have had him home for one day and although he is no longer vomiting, the nasal discharge is still there. What causes this discharge and is there anything I can do to stop it?

We are probably dealing with an infection but many different things may cause a nasal discharge. Does your cat have a high temperature? Are there any signs of laboured breathing? Maybe you should have a word with your vet…

I am looking after a 21 year old Siamese cat for a couple of weeks. He suffers from constipation on a recurring basis. Can you suggest any way to help him out? I think it is due to inactivity because he improved dramatically for the first few days here when he was interested in his new surroundings. I thought raw liver would help but it seems to have made him worse, now he is not eating anything just drinking and straining! He seems quite happy purring when stroked but if he doesn't start eating he will get weak quickly as he is already just a bag of bones. Thanks for your help.

Constipation can be very problematic. In a clinic fluids are given iv to moisten the intestines. More or less the only thing you can do is to give paraffin orally. Plain kitchen oil is absorbed from the intestines and will not do much help. Consider a visit to your / the owner’s vet. This might not only be constipation.

Hello. A specialist veterinary ophthalmologist out here in South Africa has recommended that my 8 year old burmese has one drop twice daily of Interferon in his eye for the rest of his life. I would really like a second opinion on this please.

He is an English cat, and flew out here with me, and my other cat (also a pommie!) in 96. In London, he got twice yearly eye infections (yellow pus, red eye, swollen around eye area) which were always resolved with antibiotic drops or ointment used for a week. He had snuffles as a kitten and once as a 3-4 year old, but is otherwise fine.

However this year has been very hot (we have a lot of problems with allergies, both with humans and animals in our climate in Cape Town) and he has now had a minor pus infection for the 4th time this year, so my usual vet referred him to the specialist.

I have heard of the drug, as think it was used on AIDS patients in the 80s and it is unusual (must be kept in the fridge) etc. The vet was too busy to answer all my questions! If it is a long-term thing, is there not anything gentler, or more homeopathic even, that I could use?

One other question - my cats are UK born and as I said, left the UK in 96, aged 3 and 5 respectively. We would like to return, but are concerned about quarantine. My cats are both indoor cats, and have access only to an outdoor run (grassed, fenced in area) during the day. They have never met any other animal while out here, and are effectively quarantined. I have seen MAFF's latest quarantine regulations and I know SA is excluded because there is rabies in the northern part of this country - about as far away as you are from Italy - but do you think it would be worth writing to them with affidavits to ask for exemption, or is that unrealistic? Do you know if we came to live in mainland Europe for 6 months whether we could bring them back in to the UK after that?

Many interferons have shown promise as direct antiviral agents and immune modulators as they have a wide range of effects on immune function. I can’t comment on its use in ophthalmology. If the vet you seen is an expert, I would go for it. However, I would demand to have these things explained. After all, you are paying for the service. Are the effects of the drug on the eye well studied or is he / she just trying it out on your cat? Phone or write a letter to the clinic.

Sorry, I don’t believe in homeopathic medicine until I’ve seen a good, scientific study published. Why is it that we demand proof from medical companies concerning their products but are happy with a label saying ‘good for this or that if diluted one million times’ when the ‘medicine’ is bought in another shop than a pharmacy? I try to be open minded but sometimes… Anyway, sorry, moving on to your question asking for exemption. It's not worth trying.

Staying mainland Europe… well, that’s a new one. This means gaining European status in one of the countries in the PETS system (ca 15 countries as of now). I guess you would have to ask each country about how to get official status there for your cats.

I have two rescued kittens approximately 12-16 weeks old. They have had their initial shots and deworming. This morning I noticed a spot of blood in their bed. I had noticed something similar on the floor near their litter box previously but it was dried and I wasn't sure if it was blood or not. Their paws are fine and it appears to be anal related. What could this be? Thank you for your help.

Usually when kittens have blood in their stools it’s because they eat more than their intestines can handle. The bleeding is caused by the irritation on the inside of the intestines. In these cases reducing the amount of food makes wonders. However, there could be other reasons too so if unsure (as always), go see your vet.

Dear Vet. I have a quick question regarding cat food. I am getting conflicting advice about dry food. Is it okay to feed your cat only dry food, or should you give them tinned too? Mine get Hills Science Plan, Feline Growth, dry. Many thanks.

It’s safe if it’s good quality; Hill’s is one of many good manufacturers. They invest lots of money in research concerning feline nutrition. The conflicting advice might originate from previous years. It was found that cats eating dry food showed an increased risk of producing urinary crystals. However, modern foods have changed for the better.

The following is from Chandler’s Feline Medicine: Dry food is necessary to moisten for young kittens and sometimes for lactating queens. Cats require substantially more drinking water when fed dry or semi-moist foods that when fed canned foods.

Today I took my cat to the vet, she was diagnosed with a lump outside her stomach and Jaundice. Her symptoms are constipation and vomiting. She had an x-ray and a mass was found near her liver. The prognoses is that the mass should be removed, but as she has jaundice there is apparently, only a slim chance she will survive the anaesthetic, less than 30% as she may not overcome the effects of the jaundice. She is now on a drip.

Fluids and nutrition iv will help to strengthen her for the moment. Good news is that a quick look inside her abdomen to see what it looks like (and perhaps taking a tissue sample) is done in only minutes.

If you want a second opinion or her to be looked after ‘by the best’ there is nothing wrong in discussing this with your vet. He /she will guide you to the right places. I shouldn’t name one clinic before any other … but one option is as always to contact one of the universities.

Hello. I wonder if you could help me. Four weeks ago, my one-year old cat had two kittens. One (male) is fine, but the other (female) still has splayed hind legs like a new-born kitten (the front legs are OK). She seems to get around OK, but even allowing for the fact that her brother has developed more quickly in all respects anyway, as males do, I'm concerned that there might be a problem with her legs. Generally she seems fit and well, but the legs just don't seem to work properly. Do you have any initial advice, or indeed is there anything to worry about at all, before I visit my local vet? I've not yet gone direct to a vet as I'm in receipt of Income Support (the PDSA couldn't help).

This is usually due to a muscle problem but joint defects can’t be ruled out. Sometimes you hear of owners carefully having tied the hind legs together, thus helping the muscles to normalise. But I don’t know if I should advice you to do that… I had a look through the literature but it didn’t have much to offer in aiding this sort of problem.

My 4 year old cat has had a constant discharge from the inside corner of his left eye for over a year. It varies from a watery fluid to a brownish red fluid or a thick green discharge. The eye itself always appears watery but is not red or inflamed and otherwise looks normal. Other than squinting that eye a lot, the cat doesn't seem to be affected or have any other symptoms. Several months ago, the vet gave us ophthalmic ointment to apply directly to the eye but this did not help.

The problem started while we were on vacation and we had friends stay at our place to look after the cat. As far as I know, nothing specific happened to cause it, and since he is quite accustomed to being left alone and is very sociable with visitors I don't believe this had a negative affect. I would like to avoid another trip to the vet as it is very traumatic for him to leave the house (he is strictly an indoor cat). Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

What exactly caused this can’t easily be established. There could even be a systemic illness in the background. But a treatment with another sort of eye ointment (with antibiotic) might produce results. It would be very interesting to flush the tear duct!

If things don’t seem to be getting any better after additional treatment (yes, I’m afraid you have to take your cat to your vet) discuss a referral to an eye specialist (or go for it at once). Please understand that vets (and human doctors) in general practice can’t offer that little extra knowledge that just might make a big difference.

Hello. I am worried my 2 year old male cat has a problem. I have noticed that about once or twice a week for the past 3 weeks, he will begin to cry quite loudly and blood comes from his bum. Afterwards he seems like normal, other than he sheds quite a bit. Does this sound like a deathly situation? Thank you very much.

If it’s a problem with the large intestine or the anal glands or similar… hard to say, especially when it’s that seldom. I wouldn’t assume deadly… Perhaps have a word with your vet concerning change of diet or a check-up.

I have two 6 month old male kittens. One especially has very weepy eyes and breathes very noisily - he is almost wheezing. They were vaccinated against cat flu and all other major diseases at 4 months. I know they could have been born with cat flu and I am worried that they may have it. They are very sociable and active despite these problems.

Sounds like flu on your description. Although they are vaccinated they can still contract the disease. However, they tend to recover a lot quicker and they tend not to get as ill as if not vaccinated. Chlamydia offers potentially extra problems. Have a word with your vet.

She seems to be healthy, except that she can't digest dry cat food. I feed her fancy feast all the time. When I try another cat food she throws it up. She takes spells of throwing up anyway, sometimes hairballs and sometimes not.

Typical signs of hyperthyroidism, which occurs in elderly cats, are greedy appetite (‘my cat eats like a horse’), loosing weight, thumping heart beat and sometimes an enlarged thyroid can be palpated.

1. The male of my two sibling cats has recently developed lose skin on his right side, that hangs between the middle of his tummy and his hind paws about 3-4 cm below his tummy. It causes no pain or visible discomfort when touched. Might this be a hernia? Or is he losing weight? Or have you any other ideas?

2. The male (again) has very waxy ears. He doesn't scratch them and doesn't mind them being touched. Are these brown, sticky lumps normal and flushed out of the ears naturally or do I need to treat with vet prescribed drops?

Difficult to comment on the skin question without having seen and touched it but in most cases with a history like this it is fat. However, there are certain conditions when the skin more or less disconnects from the deeper layers. This is very unusual.

Often an ear cleaner (designed to make wax more ‘fluid-like’ so your cat can shake it out) makes a big difference. You might need to use drops containing antibiotics for starters but after that you might want to continue with ear cleaner if your cat is the sort that produces lots of wax, thus lowering the risk of new ear problems. Often you will find ear mites in cases like this; your vet will give you guidance.

I am looking after my parents cats whilst they go away for five days in August. The cats will be coming to my house, I just need to know if I will have to keep them inside for the five days or will they be able to go outside at all. In case it's relevant the cats know me well but do not wear collars. Thank you

A popular trick in cases like this is to make sure they are hungry when they go outside. If the cats are used to being both inside and outside you might not want to take the chance of them getting lost. How about discussing this with your parents?

Please can you help with a problem we are having with our cat? We have recently got a cat from the Cats Protection who is a year old and we are his third lot of owners. We have been advised to keep him inside for a couple of weeks and have set up a litter tray for him, which he did start to use. However, he is now urinating in the litter tray, but leaving stools on a daily basis in varying places in the lounge. Apart from this, he is eating well, looks healthy and seems to be settling in well. We have had him for nearly two weeks and he has been neutered. We would be very grateful if you could offer us any advice on how to prevent him doing this? Many Thanks

I have a 10 month old cat, obtained via the Cat Protection League about 2 months ago. Her previous owner had never let her out, and assured me she was litter trained. She has not had any vet treatment, other than worming.

Since I have had her, she has always defecated in her tray, but tends to urinate both in the tray and at other locations in the house. Her current favourite is the bath. I have tried everything I can think of, but am at my wits end as I am constantly cleaning up! It seems like deliberate behaviour, because she always uses her tray for solids, while using her tray AND other areas to urinate.

Here follows some input from the literature. The most common medical cause of failure to urinate in the litterbox is urinary tract infection and or calculi. Defecation problems may be associated with constipation and or diarrhea or inpaction of the anal glands.

More frequent replacement of litter will solve many problems. A covered box might intensify odours. Try change of litter. Try another site of the litter box. Try several boxes since some cats prefer to urinate in one box and defecate in another. Why not different litter in each one? The site of soiling can provide leads. If it’s done immediately outside the box indicates that the box or contents are being rejected. Soiling far away may indicate a preference for that area or that substrate. If the cat prefer sinks or bathtubs, a hole or depression is the attraction.