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[victreeb3l]

So my cat usually gets to go outside during warmer days but she has a stupid ass problem of not coming back. We usually have to go out and circle the block to get her. However, today we let her out after like two weeks since it was freezing and she was meowing non stop.

A few hours later, she hasn't been back yet. Me and my mom go out and find her on the third house to our left, chilling under some small tree in their stoop. But whenever I go up to touch her, she starts to back away growling and hissing, and even tried swiping and biting me. The last time she did something like this was when she killed a mouse and I tried to throw it away its dead body.

I didn't bother picking her up so I just left her there with the backyard door open, which she usually comes and goes through. The hell is going on with her?

She's about 8-9 months old. We've noticed that she hasn't been eating properly lately either.

 

[gdt]

The fact that it's a Cat.






buuuuuuuuurn.

 

[Solo]

Option A: call the vet
Option B: post on GAF

Looks like you chose wisely!

 

[Stabby89]

Cat puberty?

 

[I <3 Memes]

Have you tried giving it pizza?

 

[mollipen]

If you care about your cat, you don't let it become an outside cat.

 

[victreeb3l]

Well she wasn't really feeling sick. She's been playing around as usual, but eating less. Then again, what do I know? I'll probably call up the vet soon, just in case.

Is it normal for cats to like chew on plants or something?

Cat puberty?

Is she in heat?

 

[Wallach]

You should definitely call a vet.

I will say that a cat that belonged friend of ours back when I was in high school showed symptoms like that and it turned out to be early signs of rabies. In fact most of what you described. That is something fairly easily treated nowadays, especially if you catch it early, so please do your pet a favor and act responsibly.

 

[B.K.]

Rabies.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

It's just pissed you wouldn't let it play Gears of War anymore

And AFAIK it's not normal for cats to chew on plants, they do that kind of thing if they're sick

 

[RiggenBlaque]

YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, DAD

*puts on linkin park*

 

[Baker]

Cat puberty?

I'm gonna go listen to Linkin Purrk.

Edit: Horrible pun and I still got beaten.

 

[Vox-Pop]

The fact that it's a Cat.






buuuuuuuuurn.

Oh, No you didn't!

 

[Stabby89]

Is she in heat?

Actually I was talking about this:

"But whenever I go up to touch her, she starts to back away growling and hissing, and even tried swiping and biting me."

The resemblance with human adolescents is uncanny.

 

[Angry Grimace]

You should definitely call a vet.

I will say that a cat that belonged friend of ours back when I was in high school showed symptoms like that and it turned out to be early signs of rabies. In fact most of what you described. That is something fairly easily treated nowadays, especially if you catch it early, so please do your pet a favor and act responsibly.

Dude what? Rabies is 100% fatal in every species. There are only like 6 documented cases of human survival from Rabies, exactly one of which did not have severe brain damage.

If rabies is a concern, you absolutely need to have your cat checked out at the vet. Rabies is not a joke; it is transmissible to humans and extremely deadly.

 

[British Monsoon]

Well she wasn't really feeling sick. She's been playing around as usual, but eating less. Then again, what do I know? I'll probably call up the vet soon, just in case.

Is it normal for cats to like chew on plants or something?

In my experience cats do this when they are feeling sick and are trying to make themselves throw up - if she's feeling unwell that could also explain the lack of appetite. Take her to the vet to be sure, it could just be somthing as innocuous as a furball but it's always better play things on the safe side.

 

[victreeb3l]

You should definitely call a vet.

I will say that a cat that belonged friend of ours back when I was in high school showed symptoms like that and it turned out to be early signs of rabies. In fact most of what you described. That is something fairly easily treated nowadays, especially if you catch it early, so please do your pet a favor and act responsibly.

Shit, that sounds serious.

I'm too afraid to even touch her. She's ready to fucking kill somebody.

 

[GDJustin]

Dude what? Rabies is 100% fatal in every species. There are only like 6 documented cases of human survival from Rabies, exactly one of which did not have severe brain damage.

If rabies is a concern, you absolutely need to have your cat checked out at the vet. Rabies is not a joke; it is transmissible to humans and extremely deadly.

What in the world are you talking about. If caught early rabies is very very treatable and has been for a very long time. Which is exactly what the post you quoted was saying:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies#Treatments

 

[C.Dark.DN]

It's only 8 months old? Hope nothing is bad wrong, but why in the world are you letting it become an outside cat?

 

[Wallach]

Dude what? Rabies is 100% fatal in every species. There are only like 6 documented cases of human survival from Rabies, exactly one of which did not have severe brain damage.

If rabies is a concern, you absolutely need to have your cat checked out at the vet. Rabies is not a joke; it is transmissible to humans and will kill you if not caught in time.

Oh yeah, that's the part I got wrong. I knew it was something.

Your cat is fucked. Good luck.

Spoiler

I'm kidding, OP, please don't freak out. :lol

 

[Angry Grimace]

Shit, that sounds serious.

I'm too afraid to even touch her. She's ready to fucking kill somebody.

I'm dead serious about that rabies thing. If rabies is a concern in your area with this cat, I would strongly suggest calling animal control, even.

 

[Baker]

What in the world are you talking about. If caught early rabies is very very treatable and has been for a very long time. Which is exactly what the post you quoted was saying:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies#Treatments

:lol Yeah. He edited his post so it wasn't a giant contradiction.

 

[whitehawk]

Lure it back to your house with pizza.

 

[TimeLike]

Cats love to eat greens. It is a natural desire for them. Lots of cat owners have safe plants around the house just for this purpose. The problem is that a lot of folks don't know this and their cat ends up eating a poisonous houseplant and getting very sick.

Dogs are the ones who eat grass when they want to make themselves puke.

 

[Angry Grimace]

What in the world are you talking about. If caught early rabies is very very treatable and has been for a very long time. Which is exactly what the post you quoted was saying:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies#Treatments

No, Early Prophylaxis is for EXPOSURE, meaning, pre-infection, meaning, what they give you after you get bitten by an animal with rabies, and are exposed to the virus but not infectied.

OP is talking about a cat with SYMPTOMS. SYMPTOMS mean you are already infected.

:lol Yeah. He edited his post so it wasn't a giant contradiction.

Yeah, okay, I don't see how that's even remotely true; you can fucking see the post because he quoted it before I changed it and it says something similar to what it says now. I edited it because it was redundant and came off as over the top.

And you are 100% wrong. Rabies is not treatable. Post Exposure Prophlaxis is not "treatment" for rabies. It prevents you from contracting the disease after exposure, i.e. you are bitten by a rabid animal and you have the disease in your system but you have no actually contracted rabies.

Once you actually contract the actual disease and show symptoms, you will assuredly die.

The problem here is, the OP is describing a cat that is already having problems. Learn and return.

 

[Freshmaker]

A few hours later, she hasn't been back yet. Me and my mom go out and find her on the third house to our left, chilling under some small tree in their stoop. But whenever I go up to touch her, she starts to back away growling and hissing, and even tried swiping and biting me.

Could be a bad tooth. My cat was very sour until the vet extracted it.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

She's about 8-9 months old. We've noticed that she hasn't been eating properly lately either.

Just how "not properly" is she eating? Because if a cat goes off food, it is rather dangerous. Dogs can go up to three days without eating with any ill effects, but for cats it's twenty-four hours.

Is she spayed? If not, she could be in heat and therefore very upset when you try to approach her.

fake edit: don't tell me you don't have her vaccinations up to date.... ugh.

 

[victreeb3l]

It's only 8 months old? Hope nothing is bad wrong, but why in the world are you letting it become an outside cat?

I think it started one day when she would not shut up until she got out to the backyard. But you know cats, they always want to take the next big step. First it was downstairs, then it was the basement, then the backyard, and now she's roaming around the block. Seems like a big mistake in my part though.

How can I get her used to staying in other than not letting her out ever? She'd try to escape outside any chance she gets.

Just how "not properly" is she eating? Because if a cat goes off food, it is rather dangerous. Dogs can go up to three days without eating with any ill effects, but for cats it's twenty-four hours.

Is she spayed? If not, she could be in heat and therefore very upset when you try to approach her.

fake edit: don't tell me you don't have her vaccinations up to date.... ugh.

Well, normally she'd eat most of her food on her bowl, but now she's eating about half of what she used to. It's dry food.

She isn't spayed :x

 

[-PXG-]

Lure it back to your house with lasagna.

fixed

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I think it started one day when she would not shut up until she got out to the backyard. But you know cats, they always want to take the next big step. First it was downstairs, then it was the basement, then the backyard, and now she's roaming around the block. Seems like a big mistake in my part though.

How can I get her used to staying in other than not letting her out ever? She'd try to escape outside any chance she gets.



Well, normally she'd eat most of her food on her bowl, but now she's eating about half of what she used to. It's dry food.

She isn't spayed :x

She's in heat if it isn't rabies. For the love of god tell me you've got her vaccinations up to date.

Get her spayed. That's why she wanted out in the first place.

 

[victreeb3l]

She's in heat if it isn't rabies. For the love of god tell me you've got her vaccinations up to date.

Get her spayed. That's why she wanted out in the first place.

Well she had her vaccinations when she was a kitten when we first got her.

Yeah, if I can catch her I'll try to set up an appointment immediately.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Well she had her vaccinations when she was a kitten when we first got her.

Yeah, if I can catch her I'll try to set up an appointment immediately.

Did she get all three sets of vaccinations? Because normally, the last set (when she was about twelve weeks old) is the one that includes the rabies vaccination.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

I think it started one day when she would not shut up until she got out to the backyard. But you know cats, they always want to take the next big step. First it was downstairs, then it was the basement, then the backyard, and now she's roaming around the block. Seems like a big mistake in my part though.

How can I get her used to staying in other than not letting her out ever? She'd try to escape outside any chance she gets.



Well, normally she'd eat most of her food on her bowl, but now she's eating about half of what she used to. It's dry food.

She isn't spayed :x

My 17 year old cat started getting interested in the outside world around that age. Snuck out once and a dog scared the hell out of her. She was curled up by the door waiting for us to open it. After that.. about 10 years later I'd let her out a few times supervised. She would meow at the door to go out but eventually stopped. So, yeah, even a 10 year inside cat will meow at a door a lot if it gets interested.

Edit: Even 5 months ago I started letting her daily for 20 minutes supervised because her time to go is nearing probably. She meowed and meowed at the door.

There's some 8 year old stray cats that got to the point where they'd sleep inside the house on cold nights but it's pretty much impossible to make it stay by now with them.

2 weeks is long. I wouldn't have let it out and kept it inside until it stopped.

 

[Angry Grimace]

She's in heat if it isn't rabies. For the love of god tell me you've got her vaccinations up to date.

Get her spayed. That's why she wanted out in the first place.

To be fair, it's not necessarily any smarter to let your unspayed cat out to roam the neighborhood than it is to let your unvaccinated cat out to roam the neighborhood.

This is why I keep indoor cats. Sure, they have to shit in a sandbox that I have to clean, but I also can be relatively sure they will be alive when I get home.

Rabies IS relatively unlikely, as it's not nearly as prevalent as it was year ago. It is possible however and I would at least be cautious. PEP to Rabies involves intra-muscular injections into the deltoid, i.e. right in your gut.

 

[Wallach]

Using the power of the internet, it's very obvious I am wrong. I do know that my friend's cat lived, so I'm not entirely sure what to say about that. Could have very well been a case of the symptoms not being actually caused by the disease, but having the saliva test positive when they took her in. Obviously I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

Either way, if you are concerned about your cat I don't see any reason you should not call a vet. The number of things that could cause behavior like that is pretty large.

 

[Corran Horn]

She isn't spayed :x

she isnt spayed and you let her outside?

Take her to vet. Load up with like 30 sweaters if you must to grab her lol.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

To be fair, it's not necessarily any smarter to let your unspayed cat out to roam the neighborhood than it is to let your unvaccinated cat out to roam the neighborhood.

This is why I keep indoor cats. Sure, they have to shit in a sandbox that I have to clean, but I also can be relatively sure they will be alive when I get home.

Rabies IS relatively unlikely, as it's not nearly as prevalent as it was year ago. It is possible however and I would at least be cautious. PEP to Rabies involves intra-muscular injections into the deltoid, i.e. right in your gut.

Well of course it's not smarter. But at least the owner doesn't have to worry about RABIES.

I really don't understand pet owners who refuse to neuter/spay their pet, or worse, think it's unimportant.


edit: Actually modern Rabies anti-rabies vaccines don't require being injected into the stomach wall anymore. A friend of mine had an altercation with a wild animal that thankfully tested negative post-mortem a couple of years ago, but in the meantime had been getting the shots in her arm.

 

[Ding]

Cat expert here!

It's very "normal" for cats to chew on leaves. We put grass out for our (indoor-only, of course) cats, for just that purpose. But, as mentioned, they usually eat leaves to make themselves throw up. Most often so they can get rid of a furball, but I'm pretty sure they also do it just to piss me off!

So, it's very possible that this cat is sick, but the fact that she's chewing foliage is not a definitive sign of this.

Changes in eating habits are a big smoking gun. That, along with their peeing/pooping habits are your main indicators of health problems. Weight loss is another, but it's often too late once you notice something like that.

If a cat ever stops eating, get thee to the vet immediately!

Sudden mood changes, like those described in the OP, tend to be related to, well, mood. Not some sort of physical problem. She's likely pissed off about something, or scared about something. Or both. It's possible she's in horrible pain though, so you are correct to be concerned.

Please tell me that this cat is spayed. Un-spayed females can be quite the handful, from what I've heard. (No first hand knowledge, however.) If she's not fixed, she could be in heat, or pregnant. It almost goes without saying that she needs to be fixed. Yesterday.

[EDIT] Holy crap, she's not spayed.

 

[tetrisgrammaton]

yeah its mating season. cats can get mighty unruly this time a year. you better be careful letting her roam outside like that or you'll haave kittens in spring

 

[Dragona Akehi]

yeah its mating season. cats can get mighty unruly this time a year. you better be careful letting her roam outside like that or you'll haave kittens in spring

He probably already has kittens on the way, to be honest.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Using the power of the internet, it's very obvious I am wrong. I do know that my friend's cat lived, so I'm not entirely sure what to say about that. Could have very well been a case of the symptoms not being actually caused by the disease, but having the saliva test positive when they took her in. Obviously I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

Either way, if you are concerned about your cat I don't see any reason you should not call a vet. The number of things that could cause behavior like that is pretty large.

Rabies can only be positively identified by a biopsy of the brain under a microscope. While saliva tests exist, the an animal that has active rabies virus in the saliva would be euthanized immediately.

Rabies is generally entirely diagnosed by symptoms. Sounds like your buddy was confused and they were probably just worried about it. Cats will act like that for a lot of things. Sick cats aren't like sick dogs. Sick dogs act sick, and do relatively similar things to what sick people do, because they are pack animals and want you to know they are sick. Cats are wired in such a way that a sick or otherwise disturbed cat will try to hide it because instinct tells them that acting sick is a good way to become some other animal's lunch.

 

[Persona7]

Cats LOVE eating greens, No idea why. I grow tons of wheatgrass for my cat and she absolutely loves it.

Its cat mating season as said previously, you need to keep her inside unless you want kittens.

 

[Brannon]

She isn't spayed :x

Get a Q-Tip...

 

[Houston3000]

Are you trying to get her pregnant? There's no other reason to let her outside unspayed

 

[tetrisgrammaton]

He probably already has kittens on the way, to be honest.

yep cats are very fertile creatures, so i learned the hard way. ah well, now i have 2 baby girls
(that i have to get spayed)

 

[DustinC]

I'd probably never let my cat outside, unless she ran out the door unexpectedly. My gf's parents had a cat get out once and it was gone for about a month. When it came back it was in rough shape, and when they took it to the vet they learned it had managed to get FIV.

FIV is basically Cat AIDS.

It's fairly easy for them to get, it can be picked up by saliva and blood, so if they fight with any other outdoor cat there's a risk for it. It's not as severe as Rabies at the on set, but it can't be cured from what the vet told them. The cat could go on to live for a while, but would be constantly at risk for illness with their immune system being weakened.

So basically, OP shouldn't let his cat out.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I'd probably never let my cat outside, unless she ran out the door unexpectedly. My gf's parents had a cat get out once and it was gone for about a month. When it came back it was in rough shape, and when they took it to the vet they learned it had managed to get FIV.

FIV is basically Cat AIDS.

It's fairly easy for them to get, it can be picked up by saliva and blood, so if they fight with any other outdoor cat there's a risk for it. It's not as severe as Rabies at the on set, but it can't be cured from what the vet told them. The cat could go on to live for a while, but would be constantly at risk for illness with their immune system being weakened.

So basically, OP shouldn't let his cat out.

FIV isn't a death sentence, necessarily. It just means that the animal has a severely depressed immune system, and any illness can be fatal. If the cat is an indoor cat, and is taken to the vet at the first sign of sniffles, it's possible for an FIV-positive cat to live as long as an FIV-negative cat.

 

[Corran Horn]

I really don't understand pet owners who refuse to neuter/spay their pet, or worse, think it's unimportant.

Ugh my roommates cat isnt fixed...luckly she isnt that bad while in heat, just wants to be petted...but I hope he eventually does something. My kitten isnt fixed yet but thats only because she costed me nearly $2,000 in vet bills already and Im a bit broke, going to do it soon though with help of parents. I would never let her outside though :/

 

[victreeb3l]

:lol I feel like the biggest fucking idiot right now.

She came back inside on her own, and is all cuddly and shit like nothing happened.

I'm gonna take her to the vet as soon as I can. I'd rather her be preggo than have rabies. Rather, I hope it's neither!

 

[Koshiba]

Yeah.. never let your cat out if they aren't fixed. Honestly, I can't look bad on people for letting their cats become outside cats. My one cat Tamtu, there was just no way I could ever keep him inside. He'd constantly dart out the door, claw out windows, etc.. I think it was just in his blood to be an outside cat because he dad was this big bad ass black cat that roamed the streets. :lol Our other cats are inside but there was just no keeping him inside. Though now he annoys me and always wants in and out.. spoiled cat. =p