Does my cat have dementia?

purpleowl

Hi guys,

can cats get dementia? My old cat, George(not sure how old he is as he was second hand!) is going round the bend. He has had a complete personality change! He has become very vocal and I don't mean miaowing but actually howling at night whether he is indoors or out for no reason I can find. George stands outside the back door, with the door open and catawals it is very irritating and bizaar.

He used to hate the hoover and would run a mile but he now actually enjoys being 'hoovered' with the soft brush attachment, stupid animal! :roll:

George is so greedy, I think he forgets he has eaten!! All he thinks about is his stomach.

I love him to bits but the neighbours have started complaining about the noise he makes outside at 4am and if he's in then he wakes up my hubby who gets grumpy through lack of sleep and as he has a stressful job he does need his sleep! He has a cat flap and a very comfortable bed in the garage but if it gets too cold I like to have him indoors!

Does anyone have any answers as I am getting desperate!

Trish xx

marrianne

Oh dear Trish ,George does sound a bit ....the word that comes to mind discombobulated ,but he sounds absolutely adorable to ,The howling and crying out at night well older cats can get nightmares wake up frightend as we do .. but you love him so much and give him constant reassurance so maybe it could be an underlying medical condition Is he maintaining wieght inspite of eating more ? Our old girl is quite strange to she has senior moments but she is now on tablets for over active thyroid and is more settled sorry I cant be more helpful but he sounds wonderful the thing with the brushing him could be as cats age they find it harder to keep up the grooming and he really apreciates the help ,Hope you get to the bottom of things ,I feel a bit naughty saying this but I am afraid the cats come first in this house Good luck with lovely George .Marrianne x

Numptydumpty

Hi, I'm very pleased yourl husband has a cat flap and comfortable bed in the garage, and you're so kind to let him inside when it's cold.
As for the cat, is he neutered? Could he be calling for a mate? If he's always hungry it could be worms, sometimes they cause loss of appetite, but sometimes they make cats ravenous.
Or, maybe he has dementia, I'm sure it comes to us all eventually.
I do hope you find a solution, he sounds lovely, and quite unusual to enjoy the hoover!
Numpty

stickywicket

Cats can get dementia (My sister was an animal nurse) but you need to get it checked out in case it's something else.

purpleowl

Thanks guys,

George is very old and is a bit thin, yes I probably should get him looked at. He has lost his manhood (or his dangly bits as OH says :oops: :shock: ) so no problems there. I've looked out of the bathroom window when he's doing the howling bit and he's just sitting there, no other cat in sight to worry him. Also he used to be always outside but now he is definitely an indoor cat. George would never get on my lap always OH but now he prefers me, can't all be bad.

What a good idea Numpty (yes I didn't phrase that very well) hubby in garage, I wouldn't have to put up with his snoring but I would have to loose my heat source.

Yes I think a trip to the vet is in order but I'm frightened that I won't be bringing him home

Trish xx

marrianne

Trish please try not to think that ,they will explore all options ,George loves his food and family ,seems he is very treatable ,we all get old but hobble along quite nicely I am sure George is the same ..Marrianne x..........oh just a thought if you have him in the house at night as winter draws in what about trying those plug ins that calm cats down ......Not for Hubby Humpty

[Deleted User]

The lady who bought my property had a cat with something close to Alzheimer. So I guess dementia is a possibility. My cat started to get noisy too, a while ago. According to the vet she is physically absolutely fine. Perhaps they just want to let the world know: HEY YOU! I'M STILL AROUND! Even if the world would rather not know about this fact....
Euh... bring him home, please!

numptynora

I'm quite sure dementia affects cats as well as humans, before I lost custard he would come in, stand in the kitchen look around and then go back out again, as if he'd forgotten something, in fact lots of things us humans do, he did, unfortunately he became incontinent and his age didn't help.......
My sisters cat used to sit at the bottom of the stairs and yawl, she was 21 when she went. I really would take him to the cat doctor and be guided by them. Maybe if he's making a noise at that time in the night he has got cold and wants to come in for a warm up? George knows you love him and I'm sure he's given you some precious moments....give him a cuddle from me.

frogmorton

One of my old cats,years ago turned into a monk.

Started sleeping on the tiled floor downstairs instead of the cosy bed :?

He died aged 19 I think of natural causes.

Hope yours is ok Trish and a trip to the vets reassures you

Love

Toni xxx

Boomer13

Hi purpleowl;

If his behavior change was relatively sudden, it could be he is feeling unwell, perhaps due to thyroid, as was mentioned or something else. That's pretty easy to correct with medication except pilling a cat can be tough.... :shock:

They do get dementia. It tends to come on slowly though.

My old cat "talks" to her string-toy in the middle of the night. She's a siamese so is allowed to be eccentric

I hope it's something fixable for your dear old cat. Ear plugs an option for husband?

xxAnna

purpleowl

Hi Guys,

thank you so much for all of your views and ideas, I will take George to the vet next week for a check up.

The last time I took George to see the vet he had eaten a fat ball which we had put out for the birds apparently they can be lethal to cats. He was very ill and had to have a camera put down his throat which showed loads of damage.(animals certainly get better treatment than us humans!) That and 4 nights at the surgery added up to £800.00. We managed to scrape the fee together, I couldn't bear to have him put to sleep!!

Trish xx

daffy2

My sister's cat got very vocal when she was old and that was thyroid. She also seemed to have lost quite a bit of her memory - going out, looking puzzled and coming back in again, that sort of thing. She also seemed to have forgotten how the catflap worked, but as she never liked using it even when compos mentis the jury remained out on that one! Looking after her in her old age was an undertaking as the vet was 75 miles away, so visits had to be fitted in with shopping trips, which didn't do much for her confusion, although she didn't seem distressed by the trips.

barbara12

Aww bless we did have an old cat many years ago that went strange....and then started pacing up and down so we took her to the vets and she had kidneys probs..she lasted another 2 years aged 16...so you are right to get her checked out...hope it goes well.

bubbadog

Have you thought about trying a fellaway plug in diffuser? We used the spray when bubba was going through his illness and it did calm him down a little. But I agree the vets is the 1st port of call. But if that doesn't come to anything give the fellaway ago.

purpleowl

Thanks bubbadog, I've never heard of that but will research it!

Trish xx

dreamdaisy

You will find it under 'Feliway', the ads are showing in our area at the moment. I suspect your moglet is a tad old for this to help but hey, who knows? Animals and humans overlap in both conditions and treatments - I knew of a pig who was given sulphasalazine to treat a skin condition. DD

purpleowl

Thanks DD

Trish xx

bubbadog

dreamdaisy wrote:

You will find it under 'Feliway', the ads are showing in our area at the moment. I suspect your moglet is a tad old for this to help but hey, who knows? Animals and humans overlap in both conditions and treatments - I knew of a pig who was given sulphasalazine to treat a skin condition. DD

Thanks DD for correcting my spelling! Have a brain freeze at the moment cause of this bug, my brain is on holiday I think!! :roll:

numptynora

purpleowl,

how is George, what did the vet say, is he any better?

purpleowl

Hi Numps,

thanks for asking after George, he's about the same I've been unable to take him to the vet as I am spaced out/high :shock: on Gabapentin this week. It clearly doesn't suit me but GP is telling me to give it a chance.

OH hasn't been around much so it will now have to wait until next week. I'm not too worried as George looks ok so it isn't an emergency. Will let you know what the vet says when I have been able to take him.

Trish xx

numptynora

Thanks for replying Trish, I hope you overcome the 'high' and find something that better suits you.