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    angel_415's Avatar
    angel_415 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Sep 6, 2008, 11:24 PM
    Can cats have sever mental disorders?
    Hi, my mom has a cat named Louie. We have had him for about 4-5 years now. She got him from a salesperson in front of Petsmart. We have always given him love and a great environment to live in...

    However, for some reason he has never quite been "all-there". He is VERY distant, he will usually stay under my moms bed all day and on occasion he will come and cuddle with one of us. He is also very skinny, I understand that some cats are just like that naturally but it seems that his weight might be a part of his "illness?".

    He also always seems to be sad and some times it seems like he doesn't know where he is or that he is scared.And now for the past year or so I have come across strange wounds on his body, not like a scratch from playing with another cat, but deep bloody wounds, like he has been nervous or so out of sorts that he has scratched his skin raw. He has had these all over his body so far. We of course take care of him as best as we can but I need some answers here!

    My question is that could all of these factors be a severe mental disorder? And if so is there any treatment we can give him to ease his pain and make him happier?

    Please and Thank You so much.:confused:
    starbuck8's Avatar
    starbuck8 Posts: 3,128, Reputation: 734
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    #2

    Sep 7, 2008, 12:02 AM
    Cats and Dogs can definitely have mental disorders, just like people. It may even be likely that your mom's cat was abused, and it may have caused a brain injury, or a pyschological disorder. You really need to get the cat checked by a vet to try and pin point the nature of the illness. He is likely in pain, and you don't want him to suffer do you? Open wounds could also cause more problems, and cost you more money in the long run. Please get him the treatment he needs.

    I'm sure you Mom didn't know, but this is the reason never to "buy" an animal from someone on the street. You never know how it has been treated, or if it has had any of the shots needed to keep it healthy. Rescuing animals is a wonderful thing, but you need all of the information to know the background on the animal, and what you are signing up for, so you know the work and money involved.

    I hope your Mom's cat gets the treatment he needs, so he can live a happy life and not be in pain, and so sad. :(
    Choux's Avatar
    Choux Posts: 3,047, Reputation: 376
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    #3

    Sep 7, 2008, 11:56 AM
    Cats can have reactions to having been abused--be conditioned to avoid humans because of bad treatment.

    They are not human beings-they don't have mental illness. Mentally ill people abused them.
    starbuck8's Avatar
    starbuck8 Posts: 3,128, Reputation: 734
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    #4

    Sep 7, 2008, 12:22 PM
    I have to disagree. Animals do have brains, and therefore can have mental disorders just like humans. Yes, anyone who abuses an animal, in my opinion has a mental disorder, but this is not the only reason a cat or dog can have these problems. Just as dogs and cats are susceptable to cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, brain tumours etc. they can also have a mental illness.

    I had a dog that I very sadly had to have put to sleep, because he was diagnosed as mentally retarded, and also had seizures because of this. The vets did tests, much like they do on humans, and we tried several medications, until I just felt he was too sick and confused, and quite likely in a mental state of pain. I couldn't bring myself to let him live his little life that way. So yes, a cat can also have a form of mental illness, and any vet will tell you that.
    tiggerella's Avatar
    tiggerella Posts: 184, Reputation: 13
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    #5

    Sep 9, 2008, 04:18 AM
    I work at a cats-only veterinarian and have to agree with Starbuck8. Cats can have the same mental and physical issues as humans. In almost 7 years, I've seen just about everything come through our doors from shy cats who cower under the towel in their carrier because they are so traumatized by the visit to super aggressive cats who need a kitty straight jacket or sedatives just to get an annual exam and a couple of vaccines.

    Tell your mom to take her cat to a vet ASAP. It sounds as if the cat may be having anxiety issues, and there are several products out there, including an all natural one called Rescue Remedy, that can be given to the cat to help ease it's mental stress and make it more "normal". Many of these products are very inexpensive and can be given in food or a tasty flavored liquid that cats adore, making it very easy to make sure kitty gets the proper daily dose.

    Good luck!
    kittykeedy's Avatar
    kittykeedy Posts: 7, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Sep 9, 2008, 06:44 PM
    My cat has to be bipolar... so kind and affectionate, sweet, attached and playful one month, and then cranky, isolated another month. We have a Doxie and they are best buds inseparable on her terms of course, so ever other month. I found her and she was pregnant, fleas, someone cut her hair and she was a filthy mess... with FeLV too. Anyway she's a great cat ever other month had her for 1.5 yrs now. :)
    Pracilla Dawson's Avatar
    Pracilla Dawson Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Jun 14, 2012, 08:12 AM
    I found a small 1 month old kitten, screamimg in agony on a stomy night. So I got a towel and tried to grab this poor little thing. While I was approaching him, it seemed like his head wasn't attached to his body... it resembled a bobble head... the poor thing couldn't pick his head up, or walk in a straight line for that matter... I knew there was definitely something wrong with this kitten... Im already a cat owner to a 13 yr old cat "Bugga", and just resqued a kitten, "Rainy", like 2 weeks prior to finding this little guy... I was nervous the kitten would harm my other cats ( worms,rabies,etc.. ) Plus seeing how nervous he was, and how late it was 1:30 a.m. me and my wife decided to put him in a carry case for the night... so he could calm down... and I can get a good look at him in the morning. When morning came, the poor thing had urine and fesus all over him... he allowed me to bathe him.. which I did , twice lol he smelled so bad. When he somewhat calmed down... I examined him, I found that he looked a lot like a ch cat... off balance, wobbly, etc. but now Ive had him for almost a month... and his symptoms changed a little bit... hes def deaf, he finally walks in a straight line, but his head is still very wobbly and he is very very off balance... the first couple days its like he knew I resqued him... and he loved me so much... now he's becoming very distant, he doesn't liked to be picked up anymore, and he walks around in a confused state most of the time. Hes extremely skiddish, and now this last week, when he's in a sound sleep... hell jump up from it, in a paranoid state, looking really confused... and hell walk around the house and start smelling everything... almost like he doesn't know where he is :( Im now in a state of tears... I really wanted to help this little guy out, but now Im at a point where I don't know what else to do... whats wrong with this kitten?
    jennyfurr's Avatar
    jennyfurr Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Jan 17, 2013, 08:13 PM
    Pracilla Dawson , what a sad story! :(
    I'm very intersted to know what happened to the poor little thing? I really hope he's going OK...
    penelope1's Avatar
    penelope1 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    Feb 16, 2013, 05:02 PM
    My foster cat has recently (within the past six weeks) has displayed some unusual behavior that I haven't seen prior. I've had her for about four months now. For play time, she hops in a box and tries to get a feathery wand that I move around usually. However she has recently started to play and then suddenly goes after me. I know when she is about to- Her pupils get very big and she gets still for a minute. Instead of pouncing on the wand, she pounces onto me and seriously tries to hurt me. The time we can successfully play to the time where she attacks me, seems to get smaller and smaller. At first I thought she was just getting overstimulated, but now it happens so often that I can't come up with a reasonable explanation. So due to this behavior, I have to cut playtime because she gets so aggressive. Any ideas as to why this is happening?
    Rawbanna's Avatar
    Rawbanna Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #10

    Feb 24, 2013, 10:39 AM
    My cat drives my boyfriend and I crazy. He says I've spoiled her. She gets in moods where she will pace and meow forever, until she gets what she wants. Sometimes for hours. For example, this morning I was in the room sleeping. We always close the door. She started with one of her fits. It went on for an hour and a half, before my boyfriend woke me up. She continued even after being picked up and held. I gave her her food, which she is far from starving, and finally she calmed down. She always has dry food and water, available to her all day long. I believe she was throwing a fit, because she wanted her wet food, which I give her once a day, in the morning. She is a cling on and constantly up my . I love her so much, but she can really be annoying! She recently started having seizures, so I've been even more attentive to her, because I know she is sick. I have her on phenobarbital, so the seizures have stopped. I'm wondering if she is bipolar, chemically imbalanced, or very needy. Sometimes I think she has separation disorder. Can it be I just spoiled her?

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