[brrnimge]

Hi,

We have a cat named Rocky that has been acting really weird lately. I am unemployed right now and my girlfriend is a student, so going to the vet is a tough call. 3 weeks ago Rocky had one dilated pupil and wasn't eating and was shaky walking. Then 4 days later he was fine. Eating, eyes were normal etc. Then he had a relapse and fell to the ground and started wailing when I put him down. I was really worried but after a day of me trying to find a vet and figure out what was wrong -- he was normal again.

We live in Florida and we have little lizards(geckos) that the cats eat sometimes... could it be poisoning from the lizards?? Also, Rocky ate a bunch of Spaghettios before I could stop him (two days ago) and I read that cats can be poisoned from tomatoes. Please help. We wish we could take him to the vet but we really are just scraping by.

Anyone recognize these symptoms??

Dilated pupils
Loss of appetite
Weak legs
Meowing & crying

[koriani]

Hello,

How old is Rocky?
What does he eat (brand)?
Any mouse poison or anti-freeze he could have gotten into?
Seizures?
Drooling?
Have you found any ticks on him recently?
Have you applied any flea/tick medication?

I'll show the doctor your post and see if she has any ideas. I work at an all feline vet. More info would be appreciated.

I don't think the Spaghettios would cause this especially since the initial problem started before he ate them. My cats have eaten that before and not had a problem.

I'll get back with you soon.

Regards,

[islandwaif]

I had a cat with similar symptoms once. Turns out he had feline vestibular syndrome. They can get it from eating lizards, some types of insects, and even shrimp from what I was told by the vet. His balance was bad for a long time and he walked with his head tilted to the side. My cat slowly stabilized and lived a long time - hope yours does too.