6 y/o male cat, behaving oddly, sneezing,

by Mrs. Vice
(Mandeville, LA)

Hello,

I have a 6 year old male cat who is sneezing, lethargic, has sort of a sleepy appearance. His fur also looks...odd. Almost as if it is both greasy and dry at the same time. He was hiding the other day which is very unusual, and doesn't want to lay with me, also unusual. The day I found him hiding, I had to search everywhere because he didn't even come running for food. I have since closed off all hiding spots so I can keep an eye on him. He purrs all the time but I haven't heard him purr in days. He is an indoor cat who rarely goes outside, and only under supervision, and we have not taken them (we have 4 indoor-only cats total, all boys, one is his biological brother). He also feels like he might have a slight fever.

My cats are on a dry-and-wet diet (mostly dry, wet a few times per week). I have been feeding him, plus giving him kitty "soup" made from a teaspoon of fresh, plain yogurt; 1000 IU salmon oil, 300mg B vitamin complex, and 2 tbsp water. He got this about 4 times yesterday and seems to have perked up a bit this morning, except that I noticed that when I put him on top of the washer to eat his soup (so that he would remain undisturbed by his mischievous brothers) he was reluctant to jump down, also.

Up until now, I figured it was just a cold, but last night I noticed that he had been laying in the same spot for hours, and I realized he had not used the bathroom since I had gotten home at about 8. I have not seen him get up to use the potty yet today either. It's hard to tell what's whose when you have 4 - but his thirst and appetite appear normal, even healthy.

What do you think...would he even be hungry/thirsty if he could not expel his waste? Since he seems to be doing better and is more responsive today (he even purred a bit when I petted him and meowed a thank you for his soup - a good sign since he talks a lot and has been quiet), I feel less worried but then thought about the fact that I had not seen him potty.

I am an infamously nervous kitty mama and tend to rush them to the vet for every little sniffle, but we cannot afford that right now, so I am not looking for a "bring him to the vet" kind of answer...especially if he would not be eating or drinking if he were unable to eliminate. He happily eats treats, and what cat wouldn't love a treat like yogurt and fish oil? so he gulps that down, too. And his regular food, he ate all of that as well. I mix water into the soup to keep his fluids up because he and his brother both don't drink enough water unless you mix it in with their food. They've always been that way.

Reply
Hi
Well of course I can't be sure but it could be a version of the cat flu. This can make them ache all over and so not want to move around.

When my previous cat had this she didn't move for two days and just slept. When she tried to get to the litter tray which wasn't that often she looked like she could hardly walk as she was so stiff and in pain, it was pitiful to watch.

As with these sorts of viruses they can affect cats in slightly different ways in severity.

I have web page about cat flu which you may find of further interest here

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-flu.html

He should get steadily better if it is the flu over the coming week. Making sure that he drinks water is very important to prevent dehydration.

I hop eh is better soon

Kate

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