Anyone got experience of cat dementia?
Discussion
I've got two cats, brother and sister, turning 14 in March. They both seem fit, healthy, alert, pretty much as they should be.
However, the boy (Steve) does have a weird habit of yowling occasionally. Sometimes it'll be during the day, he'll be fine downstairs with me, then he'll decide to run upstairs, and then I'll hear him yowling. If I call his name he comes sprinting down the stairs, jumps onto the sofa and is all over me happy as can be.
He also does it occasionally at night, which is more annoying, but again if I call his name he usually comes into the bedroom, jumps onto the bed next to me and is happy.
I've read that yowling is a sign of dementia, so wondering if this rings any bells with anyone else? He does nothing else to suggest anything else is wrong, eats and drinks normally, uses the litter tray (sadly he won't go outside at the moment since he got attacked by a neighbour's cat so we're back to litter tray for him).
As he's 14 I'm aware he's not a kitten, but hopefully this odd habit isn't anything to worry about.
However, the boy (Steve) does have a weird habit of yowling occasionally. Sometimes it'll be during the day, he'll be fine downstairs with me, then he'll decide to run upstairs, and then I'll hear him yowling. If I call his name he comes sprinting down the stairs, jumps onto the sofa and is all over me happy as can be.
He also does it occasionally at night, which is more annoying, but again if I call his name he usually comes into the bedroom, jumps onto the bed next to me and is happy.
I've read that yowling is a sign of dementia, so wondering if this rings any bells with anyone else? He does nothing else to suggest anything else is wrong, eats and drinks normally, uses the litter tray (sadly he won't go outside at the moment since he got attacked by a neighbour's cat so we're back to litter tray for him).
As he's 14 I'm aware he's not a kitten, but hopefully this odd habit isn't anything to worry about.
i'm tempted to say that yes I have experienced something similar, mad cat woman dementia from the wife but that isn't much help.
I don't thin there is much can be done although a proper neurologist would have something to say about that. As long as all can settle and enjoy life it is probably ok from my point of viw to just have to put up with madness from old ones.....all of them lol
ps very few meds are available for neurological conditions in our 4 legged friends
I don't thin there is much can be done although a proper neurologist would have something to say about that. As long as all can settle and enjoy life it is probably ok from my point of viw to just have to put up with madness from old ones.....all of them lol
ps very few meds are available for neurological conditions in our 4 legged friends
We had an 18 yr old Siamese, she displayed what we assumed was dementia….she used to walk off in odd directions with her back legs going off the wrong way. She would stop and shake her legs like a cat does when they step in water or snow but just a rear leg for ages. Eventually she lost control of bodily functions so it was time to say goodbye. Was a loving cat right to the end though.
Not a cat, but one of our dogs developed what our vet thought was dementia. He wouldn't settle in the evenings - pacing and whining. As stated above, there apparently isn't much in the way of medications, but we used a supplement called Aktivait. It had a really positive effect on our dog, Joe.
They make it for cats too:
https://www.viovet.co.uk/Aktivait-for-Dogs-Cats/c6...
We checked with our vet that Joe could take it at the same time as Metacam, and it was fine. If your cat is on any medication, it would be worth checking with your vet. To be honest, it may be worth a vet visit anyway.
Hope you can get this sorted.
They make it for cats too:
https://www.viovet.co.uk/Aktivait-for-Dogs-Cats/c6...
We checked with our vet that Joe could take it at the same time as Metacam, and it was fine. If your cat is on any medication, it would be worth checking with your vet. To be honest, it may be worth a vet visit anyway.
Hope you can get this sorted.
Caddyshack said:
We had an 18 yr old Siamese, she displayed what we assumed was dementia….she used to walk off in odd directions with her back legs going off the wrong way. She would stop and shake her legs like a cat does when they step in water or snow but just a rear leg for ages. Eventually she lost control of bodily functions so it was time to say goodbye. Was a loving cat right to the end though.
Same for one of mine at 16 years of age.I have 3 cats, and when they have gone they will be the last.
Can't take the heartbreak anymore of taking them to the vet for the very last time.
One of ours sometimes does this at night, seems to wake up not knowing what going on and meows really loudly. She is about 16 and done a few things that I’ve commented she’s getting batty in her old age. Already seeing the vet for thyroid issues so might mention it, see if it’s worth trying that stuff linked above.
Thanks for the comments guys. I guess I need to be adult about it and accept that at 14, things might start happening.
I think they're both due vaccinations so I'll get them booked in at the vet and see what they say, but I imagine if there aren't any other signs of anything wrong there won't be too much that can be done if the occasional yowling is just a sign of age.
I think they're both due vaccinations so I'll get them booked in at the vet and see what they say, but I imagine if there aren't any other signs of anything wrong there won't be too much that can be done if the occasional yowling is just a sign of age.
My mother’s Bengal got dementia at the age of 18. Being a Bengal, it was a pretty vocal cat anyway, but the difference was that the yowling was more random and not in response to something. As an example, the cat would yowl when it woke you up in the morning - it jumped on your face, stuck a paw over your nose and yowled. When it was old, it would suddenly sit bolt upright and yowl. It would walk purposefully in a random direction, then stop, presumably wonder it was where it was, and yowl.
Seemed happy enough though. Gradually it deteriorated until it could not be allowed out without supervision. Life carried on like that for about 6 months until it went off its food, then upped and died.
Seemed happy enough though. Gradually it deteriorated until it could not be allowed out without supervision. Life carried on like that for about 6 months until it went off its food, then upped and died.
rxe said:
My mother’s Bengal got dementia at the age of 18. Being a Bengal, it was a pretty vocal cat anyway, but the difference was that the yowling was more random and not in response to something. As an example, the cat would yowl when it woke you up in the morning - it jumped on your face, stuck a paw over your nose and yowled. When it was old, it would suddenly sit bolt upright and yowl. It would walk purposefully in a random direction, then stop, presumably wonder it was where it was, and yowl.
Seemed happy enough though. Gradually it deteriorated until it could not be allowed out without supervision. Life carried on like that for about 6 months until it went off its food, then upped and died.
Hmmm, that seems a bit similar to my cat suddenly bolting upstairs then immediately doing his yowling. Maybe he immediately feels lost as soon as he gets upstairs until I call for him. Seemed happy enough though. Gradually it deteriorated until it could not be allowed out without supervision. Life carried on like that for about 6 months until it went off its food, then upped and died.
Ronstein said:
Our old girl (appropriately named Prescious by a previous owner!!) started the howling thing around a year ago and we've since realised she was going deaf. She's stone deaf now but still perfectly happy and heading for 17 in June.
The thing that makes me think it isn't deafness is that as soon as I say his name when he's yowling he comes running.....Our eldest chap (about 15-16 y/o) does the yowling thing occasionally, but then he's done it I think on and off occasionally since we got him aged 5. He will also, only very occasionally, poo somewhere he's not supposed to. Like, if the litter boxes aren't quite to his particular satisfaction then he'll drop one just outside the box in the utility room, but every once in a while we'll find one on the floor in another room.
He's also a long-hair and for a while was getting lumps of matted fur, did occur to me that maybe he was forgetting to wash but we think he has arthritis in his lower back and hind legs so could just be due to that.
He's also a long-hair and for a while was getting lumps of matted fur, did occur to me that maybe he was forgetting to wash but we think he has arthritis in his lower back and hind legs so could just be due to that.
8bit said:
Our eldest chap (about 15-16 y/o) does the yowling thing occasionally, but then he's done it I think on and off occasionally since we got him aged 5. He will also, only very occasionally, poo somewhere he's not supposed to. Like, if the litter boxes aren't quite to his particular satisfaction then he'll drop one just outside the box in the utility room, but every once in a while we'll find one on the floor in another room.
He's also a long-hair and for a while was getting lumps of matted fur, did occur to me that maybe he was forgetting to wash but we think he has arthritis in his lower back and hind legs so could just be due to that.
I'm certainly on the lookout for change in loo habits as that's going to be one of the most obvious changes I imagine. He's also a long-hair and for a while was getting lumps of matted fur, did occur to me that maybe he was forgetting to wash but we think he has arthritis in his lower back and hind legs so could just be due to that.
As mentioned above he no longer goes outside at all since getting in a fight with another cat, which is a shame as it was nice having no litter trays to deal with. I do wonder if come the spring and we open up the doors and spend time outside will he join us and start going to the loo outside again.
That said, the w
ker cat who attacked him is still around and not much we can do to keep it away, so I'm not sure how keen ours will be with going outside. UTH said:
I'm certainly on the lookout for change in loo habits as that's going to be one of the most obvious changes I imagine.
As mentioned above he no longer goes outside at all since getting in a fight with another cat, which is a shame as it was nice having no litter trays to deal with. I do wonder if come the spring and we open up the doors and spend time outside will he join us and start going to the loo outside again.
That said, the wker cat who attacked him is still around and not much we can do to keep it away, so I'm not sure how keen ours will be with going outside.
So again I will caveat my mention of that by saying that he has, very occasionally, been known to do that over the ten years we've had him, so it's not a new thing. Vet thinks it's probably a dirty protest - the fact it's almost always outside the litter tray would support that and could be that when he does it elsewhere it's because he's trying to tell us something else. His "sister" (other cat we acquired at the same time because the rehoming center don't separate cats that come to them together) never does this, in the ten years we've had them she's never once made a mess outside the box at all.As mentioned above he no longer goes outside at all since getting in a fight with another cat, which is a shame as it was nice having no litter trays to deal with. I do wonder if come the spring and we open up the doors and spend time outside will he join us and start going to the loo outside again.
That said, the w
ker cat who attacked him is still around and not much we can do to keep it away, so I'm not sure how keen ours will be with going outside. Both are extremely sweet-natured beasts, endlessly loving and patient, even with the kids (who are much younger than the cats).
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