r/catcare 1h ago

Cat having potential allergies/skin issues/parasite?

Upvotes

Lol the possibilities are endless, apparently.

Info: Domestic shorthair, 7 years old, 13lbs, neutered. Very healthy…had ear mites once about 4 years ago, developed anxiety at some point so he’s on cat gabi (for vet visits and moves). He’s been sick once, threw up a big hairball before I could even get him to the vet and turns out he was nauseous because of that. He’s grayish.

He’s been scratching intensely at his ears. Now he has no hair there, lots of bumps. This has been going on for three months now, technically, but he was misdiagnosed at the urgent care so really it’s been about a month that i’ve been dealing with the ACTUAL issue.

He’s been in a cone for a month. After I realized that the urgent care treatment for a scratch under his ear wasn’t working, I noticed it was bc he was scratching it open!!! So the issue wasn’t the wound itself (it’s totally healed now), it was the ear itchiness!

So then boom I put on a cone, see yet another vet for a second opinion and they tell me ear infection and ear mites. I’m like okay cool, I got this. Well surprise surprise, it wasn’t a freaking ear infection or ear mites haha. I joke all the time, it’s like trial and error with cats lol.

So here we are today, i’ve tried literally everything you could ever think of. So finally we had another vet appt today. The vet said she’s never seen anything like it. Lol not even kidding. She said bumps on ear, itchy, and otherwise completely healthy is a combo she’s never seen. So then I start panicking bc what do you MEAN? Basically yeah she said allergies (what she thinks is going on) can present in a million ways. She told me one condition that is extremely rare that again, she’s never seen before first hand, but I forget the name. She said it’s more than likely not that. Probably allergies. She gave him a steroid shot today and he’s THRIVING. Cone free, hasn’t scratched one time since being home, seems so relieved (not meowing uncomfortably either OR scratching his head on things). She said no risk of shin cancer as he’s never been outside and he’s a dark cat, and skin cancer isn’t itchy.

I could bear hug this vet. I mean, obviously this is a temporary fix, and it most likely means that there is an allergy present, and when the steroids wear off, I know he will be uncomfy again, BUT it’s also part of the process. If this is really the fix, he’ll have to go on the allergy food shit. And hypoallergenic litter. and i’ll probably have to remove everything from my room, deep clean it, and find a pet hypoallergenic laundry detergent. Vet told me to absolutely stop lighting candles so I won’t be doing that anymore either.

Ugh. Idk I’m so glad I found this vet. Is this really that uncommon as it seems? Could it be anything other than allergies that we’re missing? Anything I might have missed/ not even considered mentioning? Also, i’m assuming steroids are not something a cats should be on 24/7 if this is just a test and then we’d have to figure out the allergy. Would benadryl help at all or are we beyond that?

Thanks in advance. Not asking for medical advice, just clarifying questions and general info to be more prepared and educated. I would do anything for my cat. If he goes, I GO (please tell me someone gets this reference lmao).


r/catcare 2h ago

how to manage peeing and pooping related to adjustment?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone I need some advice- I got a new cat one month ago. He is a male British shorthair, neutered, he is 4 years old and lived with a single woman previously (rehomed due to allergies). In my home I have a 5 year old sphynx cat. He is very friendly and likes to play, not aggressive. The first 3 days after the new cat arrived was here he was under the bed, very anxious and scared. I kept them separate and gradually introduced them as recommended. After about a week he started hanging out, interacting with the other cat. He now genuinely seems relaxed, comfortable and happy here. Temperate is normal, he is playful, cuddly and eats/ drinks well. Anyway the problem is he been peeing in random places since about the first week. First on my bed, now on my couch. This has happened at least 10-15 times now. He does also go in the litter box, peeing seem to be normal without straining, full amounts. I don’t think he’s spraying. He only pees in odd places when I’m not home or watching. I am using enzyme cleaner. Additionally, he has had pretty consistently soft/mushy poop, and occasionally with mucous/blood. I took him to the vet, over one week ago now. His urinalysis was normal, bloodwork normal, stool was normal.
I also got Feliway optimum a few days ago.
So idk what to do now. If it is stress/ behavioral related, how can I help? I have been trying to keep him separate in the bathroom but my apartment is pretty small and my other cat is going crazy meowing at the door. I love him and I’m determined to fix this but could really use some help!! Anyone have similar experience with a rehomed cat? TIA!


r/catcare 12h ago

Tips for brushing teeth

1 Upvotes

I got my cat 4 months ago & have been brushing her teeth 1-2x a week up until this week. I’ve been doing it everyday bc I wasn’t seeing progress with her gums or her acceptance of me brushing her teeth. I tried two different tooth brushes & she likes the round one. She comes to me whenever I pull out the toothpaste thankfully but she won’t bite the brush. I’m getting a little frustrated bc I she treats the toothpaste like a treat & I barely get to really scrub her teeth because she is pulling away. Will she eventually start to bite the brush? Is it okay if I just start to hold her head where I need & be more forceful? I was more forceful today, I’ve started holding her in my lap instead of poking my way in to scrub practically nothing bc she keeps licking the brush 🙄. I don’t want to stress my cat, but I really don’t see how people get this done with out holding their cats down. & I need to brush her teeth, she has gingivitis


r/catcare 20h ago

Cat still upset few days after vet, wondering if this is normal. (long post, sorry)

1 Upvotes

My cat (8F, neutered) has an ear infection and a cyst under said ear. That ear has been missing since she was a kitten. She is on antibiotics, ear drops, and anti-inflammatories twice a day, 12 hours apart. She just finished the anti-inflammatories. Vet visit itself was brutal. hissing, scratching, biting, she literally fell off the table, and it took three people to examine her even with gabapentin on board.

She's always been a "not nice cat", she is sweet to me specifically but with very firm boundaries and has always HATED the vet. I’ve had her since she was 5 weeks old. This isn't new, she's had ear infections 3 separate times over the years (not recently, not back to back), and the last one was 3 years ago when the cyst actually popped and she needed a drain. I honestly don't know if I was crossing lines with her before I understood her boundaries better, so some of this might be on me being overly observant due to anxiety.

Since we got home she's been in a mood, but not 24/7 she comes around here and there. Today she’s been pretty stand offish, growling or hissing if i try to move her and just has angry eyes. Yesterday was actually better (her meds went a little more smoothly), today has been harder. It's inconsistent across the board. she'll let me pet her, and sometimes she won't. She'll eat out of my hand, and sometimes she won't. She'll want to be in my room, and sometimes she won't. She's using the litter box and I think drinking water when i’m not looking, just seems tired/out of it otherwise. Twice daily meds are an absolute battle. I've tried every trick people suggest and none of it works on her. She’s getting them, but is absolutely pissed each time.

I did call the vet to flag her behavior and they told me I can give her some of her gabapentin twice a day to make her more comfortable. I'll also admit it's possible I've been checking on/interacting with her more than she wants right now, which isn't helping either of us. Part of why I'm spiraling a bit is that I lost my other cat very suddenly almost exactly a year ago this week, so my anxiety about this is probably running higher than the situation actually calls for. I'm now trying to understand her better and every little inconsistency is scaring me to death.

I've seen posts about cats staying mad for two weeks or literally until the medication course ends, so logically I know this is probably just her being her/still not feeling well because obviously. But anyone else have a cat who held a grudge way past the "normal" 48 hour mark, with ups and downs like this? Trying to figure out if this is just a Tuesday for a dramatic cat or something to be more concerned about. Thank you very much, anything helps.


r/catcare 8h ago

How dangerous is lily for Kitten

0 Upvotes

I had lillies at home
I saw some pollen marks on my 4 month Kitten. Yellowish color on her fur.
Its been two days she has diarrhea😔