Ask the Veterinarian/Is my cat crazy?

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Expert: - 1/21/2011


Question
Hello, m cat Chloe is 6 years old and is very anti-social. She will not interact with other cats and spends most of her time isolated. My concern is that she seems to be frightened to come out and use the litter-box and I afraid that she is urinating and defecating around the house. Is there a medical reason for this and is there something that I can do? She is not violent or aggressive but seems to only be friendly in my company and mine alone. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Well it sounds like Chloe has a problem with being socialized when she was younger. Some cats just naturally prefer one person however.

If, however, she is frightened by something that is different. She may be experiencing some physical issues such as a bladder infection or even bladder stones. These will cause her to not use the litter box.

You need to get her into the vets and have a good exam done of her. The vet can rule out any issues she might be having that are not that visible to you.

Until then there is not much you can do for her- so get her to the vets soon.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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