Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat seizure/hairball?

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 9/16/2008


Question
Hello, our 5 yr old cat, Tallulah, has recently been acting strangely. It has been happening for about 3-4 weeks now - usually when she is eating her dry food (which we are about to change to wet after finding about the problems it can cause) - she will stop eating suddenly, stand up and hold her mouth slightly open, maybe stagger a little then standing on three legs she will raise one of her front paws (claws fully extended/spread out) slowly to her face. The episode seems to last about 10 - 15 seconds.

My wife seems to think it is a hairball being aggravated by the dry food but i find the behaviour quite alarming - it is more like she cannot breathe. When suffering from hairballs before this hasn't happened - just the usual gagging/vomitting until it appears.

Your help would be greatly appreciated as we are starting to get very concerned.

Answer
Craig,

It sounds like she has a dental problem. She may have an abscessed tooth, a loose tooth, or she may have Stomitis, which is ulcers of the mouth and throat. Any of the above are very painful

I would take her to a vet very ASAP to have her checked. Because if it is a mouth problem, it will only get worse.

If it were a hairball, she would vomit the food or gag. Lifting the paw, she is trying to swipe at the pain. One of my cats did that big time, but it was because he was stung in the mouth by a wasp!

I would not completely stop dry food. They need it to help clean their teeth and to have available to nibble on when they are hungry.

I have ALWAYS fed dry food, with wet food as a treat (or to a sick or pregnant/nursing cat) and I have NEVER had any problems because of it. My cats are all healthy and happy. BUT I feed a better quality dry, like Iams.

I hope this helps.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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