Licking, listless, etc....

My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching. Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching. Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

I don't know what's wrong, but I'd take him back to the vet's...

Cathy

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching. Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

I don't know what's wrong, but I'd take him back to the vet's...

Cathy

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the
last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching.
Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but
haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

Hi,
It's a good idea to go back to the vets as it could be a number of
things causing this.
There's a couple of articles on this webpage , one is entitled
Twitching in cats and another Feline hyperethesia syndrome
http://www.vetinfo.com/catneuro.html
Alison

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the
last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching.
Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but
haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

Hi,
It's a good idea to go back to the vets as it could be a number of
things causing this.
There's a couple of articles on this webpage , one is entitled
Twitching in cats and another Feline hyperethesia syndrome
http://www.vetinfo.com/catneuro.html
Alison

"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Mon, 28 Jun 2004 17:05:49 +0100, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Alison ) said,
Feline hyperethesia syndrome


That's what I was trying to remember! Thank you. :-)

Laura

The "hyper" part's easy, it's the "ethesia" bit that my brain balks at...

I also didn't think I saw a real problem, till diarrhea was mentioned, but
that coupled w/ the other general observations warrant another trip to the
vet.

Cathy

"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Mon, 28 Jun 2004 17:05:49 +0100, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Alison ) said,
Feline hyperethesia syndrome


That's what I was trying to remember! Thank you. :-)

Laura

The "hyper" part's easy, it's the "ethesia" bit that my brain balks at...

I also didn't think I saw a real problem, till diarrhea was mentioned, but
that coupled w/ the other general observations warrant another trip to the
vet.

Cathy

No suggestions. Definitely needs more vet attention. Something is up. Ask
the vet if it could be allergies of somekind. The stress from being itching
( or phantome itchy) could bring on diahreaa. If your vet stays too laid
back about it, I suggest a different one as usually that means they just
don't know and they don't want to guess.

Karen

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching. Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

No suggestions. Definitely needs more vet attention. Something is up. Ask
the vet if it could be allergies of somekind. The stress from being itching
( or phantome itchy) could bring on diahreaa. If your vet stays too laid
back about it, I suggest a different one as usually that means they just
don't know and they don't want to guess.

Karen

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs. He also will
lay there with the skin on his sides and back twitching. Occasionally
he even hisses before licking the leg. I suspected fleas, but haven't
been able to find a single one. He has also grown more listless,
preferring to sleep upstairs in my study, whereas he used to spend a
lot of more active time downstairs in the evenings and would usually
join me on the bed when I retired for the night. And now he almost
always sleeps in or near his litterbox. Yesterday he started having
diarrhea, too. I noticed what looked like fur in the stools. Could
this be something as easily remedied as hairballs?

His appetite seems fine, and he doesn't seem to be in *great*
distress. He hasn't licked or scratched any of his skin until raw or
red.

I took him to the vet last week, and she said it's probably nothing
serious, but that I should watch him (this was before the diarrhea).
She couldn't find any fleas, either. I'm going to call the her again
later today, but I was wondering if anyone here might have any
suggestions as to what this might be. Thanks!

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
My 9-year-old neutered male cat, Gideon, has suddenly (within the last
week or so) started exhibited unusual changes in behavior and some
symptoms that something isn't right. He will suddenly jump up and
start licking himself -- usually one of his hind legs.

Check the backs of his legs for small bumps.