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Mindyann Carrie333 HEATHER23 KrazyKelli |
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Mindyann View Profile |
Clawing hair off
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| 02/22/05 06:17pm |
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Carrie333 View Profile |
Message To: Mindyann In reference to Message Id: 255794 Clawing hair off
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| 02/27/05 11:12pm |
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HEATHER23 View Profile |
Message To: Mindyann In reference to Message Id: 255794 Clawing hair off
If the cat is a long hair variety a good brushing might help. Usually they really like it too - it acts as a bonding agent between you and the animal and is very relaxing - which if the cat has been with your roomate since she was small might help with the seperation anxiety. If the cat is a short hair get a normal small comb and use that instead of a brush - be gentle and watch around the eyes and ears, My cats try and bite the comb as we brush around their mouths - that just means they like it! Washing the bedding should also help - trying to give the cat a bath may be very difficult - especially if she is very old and not used to baths! The brushing will probably do more to help her skin and fur than a bath - also be sure there is water available - cats can dehydrate very easily! If her coat seems dry - you might try either a can of wet food (if she only eats dry food) or the water from canned tuna fish (not the kind packed in oil - that’s too oily). That should increase the amount of available oils in her system. Now - as for her seperation from your roommate - she may be very lonely and scratching is a nervous reaction - try spending a specific time during the day (night hours are better - cats are nocturnal) that you pay special attention to her - so she knows you will be there for her. Mindyann, it’s very special of you to care for your roommates cat this way - most folks don’t realize how much cats get used to having "their" people around - people think it doesn’t really matter - but they couldn’t be more wrong! Think of this as caring for his grandmother - he’s probably had the animal just about that long! Best of Luck - and remember - ears are for rubbing!  |
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| 05/03/05 04:29pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: HEATHER23 In reference to Message Id: 331887 Clawing hair off
Alright, on with my post. I feel we are lacking information. How old is ’old cat’ to you? 10? 15? 27? Next, where is the cat kicking out the fur? Around the head, around the lower back and tail-base area? The tummy? or just about everywhere? Each place does, infact, mean different things. If the cat is ripping their stomach fur out, then it’s part of over-grooming on the cats part. This is caused with over-anxiety and can be fixed with anxiety/mood meds that the vet will provide. The other two things that are a big cause to cats kicking their fur out are these: 1 is if the cat is kicking out fur just about anywhere to the point where bald-spots are showing, then there is something the cat is allergic to in your home. This can be many things. If it was the catlitter, then the cat would’ve already told you this by other means - such as not using the literbox at all. I believe it could be a spray (hair spray, perfume, Fabreeze, etc), paint fumes, candles, incense, some other air agent that smells good to people. If this scratching all over is recent, then perhaps hayfever or some season-born illness that the cat caught (cats get the flu and viruses mostly in the spring). 2 Perhaps your feline friend is just kicking their head and knawing on their lower back. Older cats do this TONS. My 21 year old cat does it to the point of cutting himself. This can also be due to allergies, but earmites and a lack of sensativity are also a culprit. If you wash the cat and it’s 16 to 20, DO NOT thurrowly wash the cat (ie, stick the cat in a bathtub of water). Instead, use a damp washcloth and a soft brush. Or earmite meds purchased at your local petstore. Also it would be smart to either put caps on the back cat claws or take your cat to a local petco/petsmart and get the claws trimmed (or do it yourself if you know what you’re doing). Trimming the claws will help and does not hurt the animal. A last thought of what it could be (again if this is only a recent thing) is that it’s spring and the cat is trying to get it’s winter fur off. But this is just a monsterious amount of shedding and gnawing/kicking the fur loose. This can be fixed by brushing the cat thurrowly. |
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| 05/03/05 10:34pm |
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