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Hi! I have two beloved cats who I rescued about 4 years ago at the age of 2. They are now 6 (biological brothers) one of them has always been on the more apprehensive side. This problem tends to go in phases but this time it’s lasting longer than usual. During the night time anywhere between 12-4 AM he is just a ball of energy and wants to play and will cry and run back and forth. Before we go to bed at night, I try to play with each of them for about a half hour. Is there anything else I can do? I feel bad that he has all this energy and just looking for love and attention in the middle of the night! I’m worried about when we go on vacation or something or that sorts because we won’t be able to comfort him when he is having these “moments”
Help!
-anxious cat mom
We have a new puppy, a 9wk doxipoo, he seems extremely lazy and doesn’t ever really want to move unless we make him. Even when he goes to the bathroom, he goes while laying down and it doesn’t seem to phase him? He doesn’t cry or whimper.. just lays there. His eating schedule has been quite unpredictable as well. At first I thought that he just needed an adjustment period to get used to his new people and place but now I’m getting worried. Shouldn’t he be playing more than this? Or at least have some interest in exploring? Should I be worried about Parvo or another sickness?
He came from an in-home breeder and I haven’t been able to get ahold of her since I became worried.
I would get to the vet immediately! Puppies should not be lethargic like that. And the fact that the person you got the puppy from is not getting back to you is concerning. Let your vet know your suspicions when you make the appointment so that they can be prepared. Best of luck. I hope things turn out ok.
Yes. I would be worried. Any abnormal behavior, especially in puppies this young , makes me very very worried. It’s time for a visit to the vet ASAP. I hope they check a parvo test and fecal. Along with physical exam and temp. Please go today. Let us know what the vet says.
Vet said could be PARVO, anemia from fleas, parasite or a congenital defect since he was so much smaller than the rest of the litter.
We’re hoping just anemia from fleas since that’d be easiest to treat
I have a senior cat who was receiving insulin but is now off of it per the Doctor’s orders. His glucose level has returned to normal, at least for now, by way of the DM cat food only.
The cat has become very playful, like a kitten, during the last week or so. Should I be concerned about the change in behavior?
Hi there? If your cat s feeling well enough to be playful and happy, I would take that as a gift. We have a senior dog who has given us the same thing and we are just making sure to enjoy as much time with him as we can, while we can. You could always mention the behavior change at your next vet visit if it is a concern…. however, my thinking is that since he’s feeling good that he is just letting you know. ??
Hello,
I agree with Sarah! This all sounds like excellent news.. but ANY change in behavior should be discussed with your vet, and frequent recheck of blood glucose are the best way to monitor for the progression and state of this disease process. Also, if you see a change in water intake, or the size of the urine clumps (if clumping litter) in the box are also,
let us know how things go,,
xoxo
krista
Hello, a couple months ago my home became a multi-dog household, with the newest addition being a now 10 month old GS/lab mix, and our resident dog, a 3 year old beagle/rottie mix, both males. They are both very well behaved and have never fought. However, they were not socialized properly as puppies—or at least we did not adequately socialize our beagle mix when he was a puppy, and GS mix was already 6 months old when we got him and we don’t know if or how his previous owners socialized him.
The results of their poor socialization: resident dog does not seem to recognize playful behavior from new dog and thus becomes uncomfortable, clearly cares for new dog (acts to protect new dog if anyone is playing rough with him) but won’t play with new dog, and seems to sometimes even avoid new dog.
New dog is a little better with socialization, but his main fault is that it seems he doesn’t know how to recognize resident dog’s “corrections” to him and to back off (even if most of the time he simply wants to play with resident dog), and he also has some bullying tendencies, some intentional and others not (wants to play with whoever resident dog is playing with, sometimes bugs resident dog to move if new dog wants to lay down in that spot, etc; though never has shown any physical aggression).
Resident dog is, personally, my dog, and I love him dearly, though I love new dog too, and would love to see them bond and play together, only I don’t know the best course of action to achieve that.
I would greatly appreciate any help with ideas on how to adjust these behaviors of theirs, as well as weigh in on the idea of setting up a doggie-play-date with a friend (with a stable and model dog, of course) so that maybe visitor dog can teach them how they should behave.
Hello,
Is everyone spayed or neutered? Have you seen your vet about any of this? Can you reach out to a local trainer for help? I would start with these and remember exercise and training are super important for all cases of behavioral problems. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted
Hi, I just noticed yesterday my pet rabbit has two tiny patches of missing fur on the front legs, at the same spot on each leg. However, his behaviour seems completely normal (eating, running, playing,pooping as normal), so wondering what could cause this. Thanks
Overgrooming, which can be caused by stress or allergies or any one of a number of other issues, will cause bare patches. If it gets worse, I’d get him to the vet.
My ~1 year old cat is having two problems:
1. While we play, she is moving her head in a weird way when (I think) she needs to focus on the “prey” with her ears.
This can be seen below in this short clip:
https://youtu.be/69bADiXzqKU?t=9
2. She sometimes plainly shakes head, during play time or walking. This behavior is clearly seen on the clip below:
https://youtu.be/p3CKfJFZlV8?t=5
Does this look like an inner ear infection (since I can’t observe any ear mites/parasites/fleas on the outside of the ears)? Is it possible to treat at home or she needs to see a vet?
first: THANK YOU for linking to videos in your post. i really appreciate that, and it makes it a LOT easier to diagnose.
for 1 – i agree with you. i think she’s focusing on the “prey” with her odd head movement. i’ve seen this before in a healthy cat.
for 2 – maybe? i’d wait and see on it, honestly. if this is only during walks and play it may be behavior-related rather than health.
Sounds like a typical cat to me! My old man would do the same in his younger years. As long as you’re making the effort to play with him when you’re both awake, he should be okay.
I agree with Laura. There are lots of things you can add to enrich the time you spend with your cat, and, lots of things you can add to your cats environment to help provide additional play enrichment. Think about toys, rotate and add new ones. Add a bird feeder outside a window. Games. Even teaching your cat how to walk in a leash with a harness r in a stroller. There is no limit to what a cat can learn and where you can go with that.
Have fun. Literally.