Worried about Grady.

3felines · 12-24-2010, 08:04 PM

Grady is a Maine Coon Cat mix, not sure as of what his other half is. He's approximately five or six years old and has very particular and specific characteristics but I'm starting to worry because he's not acting like himself. Usually he's out and about all the time, playing with Athena and cuddling with her but the past few days I noticed that he hasn't been around much and every time Athena tries to cuddle with him he gets very mad, growls and usually nips her before getting up and leaving. He seems more grumpy than usual. My sister moving in with her three kids has disrupted him and he is more prone to go after her kids if they get in his face. I haven't seen him eat the past few days but he could always be eating when I'm asleep. Last night I made a can of tuna just so I could see if he'd eat the juice and he did. I'm worried because he's never acted like this before, so mopey and not coming to lay on our laps. I was originally thinking that maybe my sister and her kids has upset him in some way or something but she's been here for nearly three months now so I thought that was enough time for him to adjust. He's overweight, in my opinion and to my best knowledge at twenty three pounds. See the pictures below. I've poked and prodded him for any lumps or bumps but haven't found anything at all and no tender spots except for his usual spots that he doesn't like being touched (center of his back, stomach, etc.) but it is normal for him to get upset with me when I touch him in those places. But I was wondering if anyone could offer up advice or maybe some guesses as to what is causing this. Also, one of his front claws, I noticed when I was trimming them the other day, the quick is exposed. A normal cat claw encloses the quick on the sides and the top but on Grady's paw it looks like the side of his nail fell off and half of the quick is exposed, not torn or bloody or anything, it looks just like the other quicks in his other nails just without nail over it. I touched it and it didn't seem to bother him but I was wondering if this is something I should be concerned about? Thank you.

So recap:

5-6 years old
male, neutered
Maine Coon Mix
Dry food
Indoor cat only
Odd nail/quick thing
Normally he comes out all the time and plays etc but lately he's been sleeping a lot and staying away from people.
Usually very friendly with Athena, they're cuddle bugs together and lately he hasn't wanted anything to do with her at all.
Does not play like he usually does either.
He usually eats about three times a day but I haven't seen him eat at all in the past few days except when I gave him tuna juice last night.
He is more irritable than usual, very touchy.

Please, anyone's input will be appreciated.

**marie73** · 12-24-2010, 08:21 PM

Cats are experts are hiding pain. That injured claw sounds painful to me. That seems like the most obvious explanation, but with cats, you never know. My girls have off days sometimes. Your sister moving in with three kids is a huge disruption, too. If his eating is off, could be a tooth/mouth issue. Really, too many things to even guess at. I'd take him to the vet if he's not back to his usual self after Christmas. As long as he's eating and drinking enough, it's not an emergency.

I'd keep an eye on his claw to make sure it doesn't become inflamed or infected.

Grady is one gorgeous kitty!

3felines · 12-24-2010, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marie73

Cats are experts are hiding pain. That injured claw sounds painful to me. That seems like the most obvious explanation, but with cats, you never know. My girls have off days sometimes. Your sister moving in with three kids is a huge disruption, too. If his eating is off, could be a tooth/mouth issue. Really, too many things to even guess at. I'd take him to the vet if he's not back to his usual self after Christmas. As long as he's eating and drinking enough, it's not an emergency.

I'd keep an eye on his claw to make sure it doesn't become inflamed or infected.

Grady is one gorgeous kitty!

The claw really worried me because Ive never seen anything like that. We had a cat that we took in and came to us with a claw embedded in the pad because the owner before us didn't keep them kept but nothing like what Grady has. I'm hoping it's contributed to his claw and my sister and kids moving in that is disrupting him. I'll be watching his claw with an eagle eye because it worries me. I plan on calling the vet after christmas to ask about the claw. He was out of hiding this morning and a bit tonight, both times the kids were gone and it was just the regular family here, it just seems odd that he would start hiding from them when they've been here for three months. At first he just hissed and batted at them if they came near him when they were running around and being loud. Maybe he's just sick of it and has converted to hiding away from them...

And thank you, Grady is quite a handsome boy, although he's not the thinnest of cats hehe. And let me tell you, he has some of the thickest fur I've ever come across. It may be short but he has some wicked under coat/double coat going on!

**marie73** · 12-24-2010, 08:51 PM

He has a gorgeous Russian Blue-like smiley face.

Gigi pulled a claw completely out a few months ago. I took her to the vet and she was given antibiotics and pain meds. And the dreaded CONE!!! It only stayed on a few hours, though. I couldn't take the pitiful look on her face, and she left her paw alone, so I didn't re-cone her.

Not to put blame on any of the kids, but one of them may have done something to annoy him recently, even if it was unintentional, like maybe accidently stepping on his tail or something.

laurief · 12-24-2010, 10:26 PM

Licking tuna juice is not the same as eating. If you haven't seen him eat for several days, that would raise a HUGE red flag for me. Overweight cats are at high risk of developing potentially fatal hepatic lipidosis if they don't eat adequately, and it can occur within a day or two of not eating. You need to know that he's eating a normal amount of food, so feed him in your presence when the house is quiet and the kids aren't around. Give him especially tasty foods or treats that he would normally find irresistible. If he won't eat them, he's in trouble and needs to see a vet right away. Until you can get him to your vet, you will need to get food into him with assist feeding if he won't eat on his own. The following links will help with tips, tricks, and techniques:

Tanya's Feline CRF Info Centre - persuading your cat to eat
AssistFeed.com: Advice to help a sick cat who will not eat

Hiding is never a good sign. At best it indicates stress. At worst it indicates serious illness or injury. Your instincts are correct to be worried about Grady. From your description, I suspect there's more going on with him than just the claw.

Laurie

laurief · 12-24-2010, 10:34 PM

One more thought - have you seen him urinate in the last 24 hrs, or can you confirm that he has? His behavior could be indicative of a partial or complete urinary blockage, and if that's the case, he needs to get to an emergency vet NOW, IMMEDIATELY. If he has a complete urinary blockage, he will almost certainly be dead before the vet opens again after Christmas. Make sure that boy is able to pass urine before you decide to wait until after Christmas to have him checked by a vet.

3felines · 12-25-2010, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marie73

He has a gorgeous Russian Blue-like smiley face.

Gigi pulled a claw completely out a few months ago. I took her to the vet and she was given antibiotics and pain meds. And the dreaded CONE!!! It only stayed on a few hours, though. I couldn't take the pitiful look on her face, and she left her paw alone, so I didn't re-cone her.

Not to put blame on any of the kids, but one of them may have done something to annoy him recently, even if it was unintentional, like maybe accidently stepping on his tail or something.

When I first picked him up we went to the icecream store to get an icecream and I was holding him and someone had asked me if he was a russian blue even as a little bitty kitten =)

To LaurieF:

Thank you for the tip about urination. I can't confirm that he has but I'll be watching him and if he doesn't we'll be taking a trip to the e-vet. He's the type of cat that will pee in the box right after it's cleaned, even if he just finished so I'll be cleaning the litter box to test his urination. And hepatic lipidosis? Isn't that fatty liver disease?

laurief · 12-25-2010, 10:42 AM

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that Grady is acting perfectly normal today, eating and peeing like a champ. But in case he's not, yes, hepatic lipidosis is fatty liver disease, and it's a particular concern with overweight cats who don't eat adequately.

Fact is, there are LOTS of conditions that could account for the behavior you described in Grady, and only your vet will be able to sort out exactly what's going on with him. Hopefully you won't need to take him to the e-vet, but if his condition worsens or if you see that he can't urinate, then don't hesitate to get him help today.

I wish you all good things on this wonderful day!

Laurie

3felines · 12-25-2010, 10:01 PM

Merry Christmas to you too!

I'm glad to say that he did pee when I cleaned his litter box as always. He slept in my bed last night, all night long actually because when I woke up at 5 a.m. to do presents with the kids he was still curled up next to me. He actually came downstairs and ate. He then disappeared for a while, I fell back asleep so he could have been out but I woke up when people started showing up for Christmas and Grady was out greeting people (again, the kids had already left the house and gone elsewhere). He pulled another disappearing act once he had greeted the new people. I just returned home as I had to go to my significant others parents house for dinner and he isn't out but this morning gave me hope where he was out and about and eating.

3felines · 12-27-2010, 12:32 AM

Just another update on my kitty. Today we had Christmas at my grandparents at my house so I wasn't home most of the day but I got home and pulled out the catnip for Checkers and Grady, who has always loved catnip, came running out of nowhere at the sound of the bag. He didn't stick around for long though, none of the cats did. We bought a new catnip and apparently they don't care for it but Grady is starting to come around compared to how he was a few days ago. I'm still keeping an eye on him and he's still hiding away and only comes out to eat or when the house is settled down.

12-24-2010, 08:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
3felines Jr. Cat Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 57	Worried about Grady. Grady is a Maine Coon Cat mix, not sure as of what his other half is. He's approximately five or six years old and has very particular and specific characteristics but I'm starting to worry because he's not acting like himself. Usually he's out and about all the time, playing with Athena and cuddling with her but the past few days I noticed that he hasn't been around much and every time Athena tries to cuddle with him he gets very mad, growls and usually nips her before getting up and leaving. He seems more grumpy than usual. My sister moving in with her three kids has disrupted him and he is more prone to go after her kids if they get in his face. I haven't seen him eat the past few days but he could always be eating when I'm asleep. Last night I made a can of tuna just so I could see if he'd eat the juice and he did. I'm worried because he's never acted like this before, so mopey and not coming to lay on our laps. I was originally thinking that maybe my sister and her kids has upset him in some way or something but she's been here for nearly three months now so I thought that was enough time for him to adjust. He's overweight, in my opinion and to my best knowledge at twenty three pounds. See the pictures below. I've poked and prodded him for any lumps or bumps but haven't found anything at all and no tender spots except for his usual spots that he doesn't like being touched (center of his back, stomach, etc.) but it is normal for him to get upset with me when I touch him in those places. But I was wondering if anyone could offer up advice or maybe some guesses as to what is causing this. Also, one of his front claws, I noticed when I was trimming them the other day, the quick is exposed. A normal cat claw encloses the quick on the sides and the top but on Grady's paw it looks like the side of his nail fell off and half of the quick is exposed, not torn or bloody or anything, it looks just like the other quicks in his other nails just without nail over it. I touched it and it didn't seem to bother him but I was wondering if this is something I should be concerned about? Thank you. So recap: 5-6 years old male, neutered Maine Coon Mix Dry food Indoor cat only Odd nail/quick thing Normally he comes out all the time and plays etc but lately he's been sleeping a lot and staying away from people. Usually very friendly with Athena, they're cuddle bugs together and lately he hasn't wanted anything to do with her at all. Does not play like he usually does either. He usually eats about three times a day but I haven't seen him eat at all in the past few days except when I gave him tuna juice last night. He is more irritable than usual, very touchy. Please, anyone's input will be appreciated.

12-24-2010, 08:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
marie73 Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 27,444	Cats are experts are hiding pain. That injured claw sounds painful to me. That seems like the most obvious explanation, but with cats, you never know. My girls have off days sometimes. Your sister moving in with three kids is a huge disruption, too. If his eating is off, could be a tooth/mouth issue. Really, too many things to even guess at. I'd take him to the vet if he's not back to his usual self after Christmas. As long as he's eating and drinking enough, it's not an emergency. I'd keep an eye on his claw to make sure it doesn't become inflamed or infected. Grady is one gorgeous kitty! __________________ Marie, and Always in my heart, my lovely Cinderella, running free at the Bridge. http://www.catforum.com/forum/member...signature2.jpg

12-24-2010, 08:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
marie73 Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 27,444	He has a gorgeous Russian Blue-like smiley face. Gigi pulled a claw completely out a few months ago. I took her to the vet and she was given antibiotics and pain meds. And the dreaded CONE!!! It only stayed on a few hours, though. I couldn't take the pitiful look on her face, and she left her paw alone, so I didn't re-cone her. Not to put blame on any of the kids, but one of them may have done something to annoy him recently, even if it was unintentional, like maybe accidently stepping on his tail or something. __________________ Marie, and Always in my heart, my lovely Cinderella, running free at the Bridge. http://www.catforum.com/forum/member...signature2.jpg

12-24-2010, 10:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	Licking tuna juice is not the same as eating. If you haven't seen him eat for several days, that would raise a HUGE red flag for me. Overweight cats are at high risk of developing potentially fatal hepatic lipidosis if they don't eat adequately, and it can occur within a day or two of not eating. You need to know that he's eating a normal amount of food, so feed him in your presence when the house is quiet and the kids aren't around. Give him especially tasty foods or treats that he would normally find irresistible. If he won't eat them, he's in trouble and needs to see a vet right away. Until you can get him to your vet, you will need to get food into him with assist feeding if he won't eat on his own. The following links will help with tips, tricks, and techniques: Tanya's Feline CRF Info Centre - persuading your cat to eat AssistFeed.com: Advice to help a sick cat who will not eat Hiding is never a good sign. At best it indicates stress. At worst it indicates serious illness or injury. Your instincts are correct to be worried about Grady. From your description, I suspect there's more going on with him than just the claw. Laurie

12-24-2010, 10:34 PM	#6 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	One more thought - have you seen him urinate in the last 24 hrs, or can you confirm that he has? His behavior could be indicative of a partial or complete urinary blockage, and if that's the case, he needs to get to an emergency vet NOW, IMMEDIATELY. If he has a complete urinary blockage, he will almost certainly be dead before the vet opens again after Christmas. Make sure that boy is able to pass urine before you decide to wait until after Christmas to have him checked by a vet.

12-25-2010, 10:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
laurief Cat Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: northern Minnesota Posts: 2,576	Merry Christmas!!! I hope that Grady is acting perfectly normal today, eating and peeing like a champ. But in case he's not, yes, hepatic lipidosis is fatty liver disease, and it's a particular concern with overweight cats who don't eat adequately. Fact is, there are LOTS of conditions that could account for the behavior you described in Grady, and only your vet will be able to sort out exactly what's going on with him. Hopefully you won't need to take him to the e-vet, but if his condition worsens or if you see that he can't urinate, then don't hesitate to get him help today. I wish you all good things on this wonderful day! Laurie

12-25-2010, 10:01 PM	#9 (permalink)
3felines Jr. Cat Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 57	Merry Christmas to you too! I'm glad to say that he did pee when I cleaned his litter box as always. He slept in my bed last night, all night long actually because when I woke up at 5 a.m. to do presents with the kids he was still curled up next to me. He actually came downstairs and ate. He then disappeared for a while, I fell back asleep so he could have been out but I woke up when people started showing up for Christmas and Grady was out greeting people (again, the kids had already left the house and gone elsewhere). He pulled another disappearing act once he had greeted the new people. I just returned home as I had to go to my significant others parents house for dinner and he isn't out but this morning gave me hope where he was out and about and eating.

12-27-2010, 12:32 AM	#10 (permalink)
3felines Jr. Cat Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 57	Just another update on my kitty. Today we had Christmas at my grandparents at my house so I wasn't home most of the day but I got home and pulled out the catnip for Checkers and Grady, who has always loved catnip, came running out of nowhere at the sound of the bag. He didn't stick around for long though, none of the cats did. We bought a new catnip and apparently they don't care for it but Grady is starting to come around compared to how he was a few days ago. I'm still keeping an eye on him and he's still hiding away and only comes out to eat or when the house is settled down.

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