Expert: Ali - 9/10/2008

Question
hi my neighbours cat is 12yr old and has started crying a lot,and she doesnt know why.i was just wandering if you had any answers.amanda

Answer
Amanda,

Your neighbor needs to have her cat assessed by a vet fairly urgently. Increased vocalization can be a symptom of pain or illness in a cat and any medical issue is more complicated in a geriatric cat. The sooner this kitty is cared for by a vet the sooner that your neighbor will know what's going on. It's possible that the increased meowing is a result of senility which is essentially Alzheimer's for older cats without the medical complications that people typically get. The cat may have lost part or all of a sense like hearing or sight and be calling to his human for direction. Hearing/vision loss in and of itself most likely wouldn't cause the crying, but it's possible that this kitty has issues with his memory and maybe he feels as though he's misplaced his mom and wants to find her. If the cat is crying when his/her mom isn't home it's possible that he/she is anxious and sometimes leaving a television or radio on while you are out and leaving a small towel that the cat parent has rubbed on their hands and arms in an area that the cat feels comfortable and safe in can help ease the anxiety in an older cat.

If there is no medical explanation for the increased vocalization then your neighbor could certainly try consulting a holistic vet. Vets with a holistic approach are trained in conventional medicine as well as having sought out and completed training in an alternative therapy like homeopathy, massage or acupuncture.

My family vet is a holistic practitioner and I have seen some pretty incredible things happen with the homeopathic remedies that she has given my cats. In fact, last year, before Christmas my oldest cat became very sick, very quickly and was diagnosed with kidney failure. The vet at the emergency hospital really believed that my little munchkin would either die or need to be euthanised shortly based on her blood results. My vet began treatment with the traditionally used therapies used in kidney failure in cats which in my little girl's case included a low protein prescription diet and IV fluids in the hospital for a few days. In addition to the traditional medicine my vet treated my little one with various homeopathic remedies to deal with the symptoms that conventional medicine would have ignored. For a couple of days things were touch and go, the blood results continued to worsen for two days following diagnosis. My baby girl must have a guardian angel watching over her because her blood tests turned around completely within the space of 24 hours or so. I attribute this miraculous recovery to the combination of conventional and holistic therapies and over the past year my little miracle's blood results have continued to improve steadily. In my mind this stands out as a shining example of what treating a whole animal can do to help facilitate recovery and maintain health. Between the staff at the vet clinic treating MC with love and respect and the vet using a combination of Western medicine and homeopathy I truly believe that the whole situation is a miracle that just wouldn't have been possible without the use of complementary therapies.

Unless this kitty sees a vet there really isn't a way to tell what's going on. The examination at the vet's office will probably include urine and blood tests, this will be a bit more expensive, but it allows the vet to have an inside view into how the cat's internal organs are functioning. The diagnosis could be something as minor as a thyroid issue or as major as organ failure so taking a "wait and see" approach really isn't a good idea. The sooner medical problems are found the higher the odds of treating them, getting them under control and preserving the cat's quality of life. Early diagnosis of some problems can make the difference between a cat living a happy, relatively healthy, normal life while his/her medical condition is maintained with daily medication or other medical therapies or having to make the heartbreaking decision that no cat guardian ever wants to make which is to euthanise an old friend. It's important that your neighbor understands that time is very important to help this kitty have the best possible chance of recovering if she is sick.