Is she sick, or just old?

[Okie]

My cat Bobbie is having some problems.

Background:

My ex-wife and I rescued her from the Humane Society in 2000. She had been hit by a car and had to have her tail amputated at 6 months old. So she has always had a problem with balance anyway due to the loss of the tail. I also highly suspect she was a farmcat before we adopted her. She has always had some problems with urinating in places other than the litter box, but it usually came in phases, and was never blatant or long-standing. And she did have random seizures that I suspect she still has, but isn't surprised by them anymore so she doesn't make much of a production when they happen now, so it's hard to tell how many she is having. She also has historically had problems drinking water. Usually she would drink for a while, then just splash the water and lick her paw. And she would regularly throw up maybe 2 to 3 times a month for no apparent reason.

About 1 year ago she was having some more problems with urinating on the carpet but I took her to the vet and they didn't find anything abnormal. After the visit she stopped doing it.

But, now she has began almost exclusively urinating on the carpet near the litter box (but still poops in the box), is splashing water even worse and doesn't seem to ever drink out of the bowl like a normal cat, has stopped grooming her lower body resulting in a lot of matted hair knots, and is throwing up probably twice a week now. She isn't lethargic though, and is still always in the same mood as before. Doesn't look or act sick, other than the symptoms listed above.

She is now 9 years old and I always feared that being hit by a car had inflicted some head trauma or something that would shorten her lifespan, especially seeing the seizures. Obviously, to truly pinpoint the issues I need to take her to the vet and have tests run. I just wanted some opinions first before I spend a bunch of money to find out she is just old.

Opinions?

[Okie]

No opinions?!?!?!

[beachldy]

It depends on how you value your cat. I had a cat once who lost an eye and although vets said she would be fine, she wasn't. She was never the same; it had traumatized her so much and she would spin and fall down. She died not long after, from other complications...but I think they stemmed from the loss of her eye.

Any person or animal who has been traumatized or suffered injury will adapt differently. I'd suggest taking her for blood tests for sure.... less than $150....which maybe can include an xray of her former injuries At least you will sleep at night knowing the prognosis, versus never knowing and wondering if there wasn't something that could have been done. If finances are a problem, maybe check for reduced rates and coupons from a pet shelter.

It seems like you are concerned, and well....it's up to you. It may be hairballs, and the water thing, well, I have a cat who only drinks out of my bathroom glass or the plant watering can, just picky. Try food that is easier on the digestive system too. Cats are extremely hearty but very delicate with health....they rarely are sick and when are, take great precaution. Their systems are so very different from dogs, who are sick as often as humans. Cats are a different creature altogether. If your cat begins to smell, you need to take her to the vet ASAP. A very good sign of extreme sickness is odor on a cat.

You may want to try some products such as Feliway Diffusers to help your cat use the litter box and to calm her down. It seems to work for some people quite effectively.

[Okie]

Thank you for the reply.

Since my last post she has gotten a little better. I changed her food and she is eating again, some, but still not as much as she used to. Sad part is my other cat has taken up the slack and will soon have planets orbiting him. But she is still peeing on the carpet. She will even do it in front of me now.

I had never heard of Feliway but I am going to get a diffuser on my way home from work tonight. She is NOTORIOUS about rubbing her face on everything.... about 3 times as much as my other cat, so hopefully this product will help.

And, I am going to have a vet visit soon to check everything out in the next week or so to make sure there aren't any big problems going on.

Thanks again for your input.....