Depressed cat

[leafs93]

Seeing there are so many experienced pet people here, I am looking for a bit of help.

I had one of my cats pass away in August. Her and my bigcat Amos had been together for 12 years. She was being treated for hairballs, but then suddenly she started declining in health rapidly. She was then diagnosed with lymphoma and died two days later. I know the two other cats knew she was sick, they did act funny around her. But Amos loved his "girlfriend" and would still curl up with her at night.

After she passed all of us were pretty upset, including the dog, who looked for her for days. And all the scents of the vet, and the burial everything just doesn't wash off with soap and water to an animals sense of smell. So it was not very good for about two weeks with my dog and the young male cat. But Amos is a different story.

He will not go upstairs at all. I had to move his litterbox downstairs, his food bowls downstairs. And not one day in the 13 years I have had him, has he missed curling up in bed with me. He eats, potties and sleeps......and sleeps.....and tears his hair out when he is awake. Vet gave him a shot of depo-medrol, and said to start him on prednisilone 5mgs in about two weeks after the shot. Yeah good luck getting a pill that is the size of an asprin down his throat, he's a big boy with a big bite.

He doesn't even bother with the other one, and the young male is a bad bad little mischevious boy. He bounces all over Amos, chews his ears, swats him in the face....and Amos just lays there with a sad look on his face. Makes me think of Eeyore the look he has.

I had sent a email to TAAG awhile back, I really want to get a new furry. Maybe he misses the female in the house? And yes my boys are fixed, and so was my girl. I know she ran the roost with her little calico attitude, she took no crap from the boys OR the dog. It's so sad to see him just lay there and not be interested in anything.

Any ideas?

[Luv'inLife]

time and patience, it hasnt been that long...hope the poor guy comes around.

[Joy.D]

TAAG has many female spayed cats of all ages. give them a call.... emails tent to fall thru the cracks sometimes. 575-7030

[lk_wicked]

Did you call TAAG? Or have you found a new cat to give your cat some pep again? My sisterinlaw had the same thing happen to her, and she ended up giving her siamese cat to live with her daughter for a little while, the change in the environment made a drastic different to her 13 year old cat. Because of the new environment, her cat wasn't looking for her partner every day. She has settled in quite well with her daughter and has turned around quite well. If getting her a friend doesn't work, you might want to see if a relative could babysit her for 2 weeks and then bring home, and see how that goes. I don't know if 2 weeks would be long enough, but it would be worth a try. And if a new friend is there, where your cat comes home, who knows, maybe she will perk up. please let us know how things turn out. good luck

[leafs93]

I got a reply to my email to TAAG. I was interested in the little calico cat they have called Hortence. Don't know if she is still there or not, but I really really want to give her a home. I was going to call, then got sidetracked with the big boy and his depression. This is the second cat he has had pass away on him. The first was his little calico littermate when they were only a year old. She had a stroke, I knew she had problems, but I gave her a home and loved her for the little time I had her. I ended up getting a second cat because he lost his mind back then too. But I figured seeing I already had another here, why was he acting depressed, this time he is not alone and the only one in the house.

[leafs93]

Ohh and I should mention, sending him someone would not work out. He absolutely hates everyone but me. I have even had to come back from vacations because the family I had taking care of him could not get him to eat, he was hateful, peeing on everything....I come home, he is a purrfect kitty once again. My family is actually scared of him, he is quite the big boy. LOL

[magic mushroom]

hortence was adopted.
sending him to someone would just add more stress to him, so not a good idea even if he was a model kitty.
since your guy is older, a young cat might be too much for him. he is at the age where he may just want a more mature buddy to relax with. i know my older ones don't like to be bothered with young ones.

http://members.shaw.ca/theanimalassi...p/CatsTAAG.htm

Ollie sounds like a nice boy, it says he gets along great with other cats.


if you do decide to get another cat, and if you have anything that has the smell of the diseased cat (blanket or something) when you bring the new cat home rub it with that article so it smells like her.
also your big guy might only welcome females by the sounds of it.

[Joy.D]

There are some older female cats in the office at TAAG as well. maybe you could arrange to gom see some of them then make a decision afterwards.

[kitca]

awwwe, your poor baby. who ever said they dont have feelings!!! or that they have no memory! ha, we all know much better. anyway, i think a new buddy would be a good idea. i think a female might be a good idea.

we have so many at taag. you should make a date to come to the office for a visit to see them all. just let them run around and see who you respond to or what cats really respond to you. and cheryl knows their personalities. im kind of thinking of tweeky, she is sweet and timid, im not sure how old, but not young and not old, she is a tabby. there are a couple of calico's there now. and oh yes, they do rule! im thinking of kapossa and kapossa lookalive. they are both chubby little things who think their sh*t dont stink, they are so funny.

[Super Gram]

What about Millie.I wish my hubby would let me get her

[lk_wicked]

Millie is still available.

[kitca]

is millie slightly chubbier now? is she at the office?

[leafs93]

I was looking at Millie, she's a beauty.
I am looking for something in the middle I think. I need someone who can keep up with Dexter, poor guy was brought into a house with two old fuddy duddies for roommates. He is two now and full of beans. And if I may say, the coolest cat in the world, this cat doesn't get fazed by anything. Even the first day I brought him home, he escaped confinement and went and introduced himself to the other cats and didn't give a rat's behind with all the hissing, and growling. He laid down in the middle of the floor and just put out the "accept it or move on" vibe.
But I think Amos needs himself a "girlfriend". And I need one that can handle having a 70 pound dog that loves her kitties , some older cats might not be down with that.
And @ Kitca, I truely believe that they adopt you, not the other way around. And calicos definitley have their own style of thinking.
As for Amos, well I hope he comes round. And thanks for all the help and understanding!

[leafs93]

LOL......looking at the website Zaza has the look of a no nonsense kitty. And Swoozy is one pretty girl too.
Yes a visit is needed, heck I don't know if you could get me to leave.

[leafs93]

just a very small update. Amos came upstairs for maybe 10 minutes yesterday. I was putting warm freshly washed sheets on the beds, and he had to have a small lay down. He still came back downstairs and stayed there after that, still sleeping on the ottoman........but maybe baby steps, just little tiny baby steps.....

[kitca]

poor guy...glad he is taking baby steps. come and take a look at all we have at taag.

[magic mushroom]

patience and a bit of extra petting are needed.
maybe do some more laundry. lol
i know mine luv the warm blankets, sheets when out of the dryer, they vie for who gets to sit on them while they are still warm.

[Joy.D]

pets are creatures of habit. sometimes the cannot handle major changes and it will actually affect their health. I have cats that get really upset when I rearrange my funiture in the livingroom. Most cats will bounce back. no one knows forsure how animals think or if they have their own grieving process when they lose a member of their pack. It sounds like your kitty is coming around. I would not get another cat until he has fully come back to himself. replacing too soon could cause an adverse reaction and could do more harm than good.
This is only my opinion. I am not a cat psychologist/behaviorist.