E-mail Story
Print Friendly
Send E-mail
Reprint story
Friday, December 31, 2010
Hellion irritating to old cat
By Dr. Jeff Nichol
Of the Journal
Q: We recently adopted a male kitten (Harley) about 10 weeks old who was found in a Dumpster by my daughter. I have an 18-year-old female cat who tries to avoid him. Harley is always trying to play with her and jumps on her and just isn't getting the message when Kitty hisses and tries to swat him. Harley has toys to play with and I feel I have to constantly baby-sit to make sure he leaves my old lady alone.
Dr. Nichol: Harley sounds like a tough guy. Maybe he needs a motorcycle. His feline predatory instincts and youthful playfulness are simply not Kitty's cup of tea. Her idea of excitement is a game of shuffleboard. She may have good reason to be grouchy; many older cats have painful joints.
Start by having Kitty examined. Ask her doctor to submit a fasting blood and urine profile to check for age-related illnesses. Whatever comes to light, it's likely that she would benefit from a feline glucosamine/chondroitin supplement or an anti-inflammatory-pain reliever.
In order for your two fine cats to get along, they will need to have their individual needs met. Kitty doesn't want to be Harley's plaything; she needs the solace of a safe haven. An Invisible Fence Indoor Avoidance System (505-474-7387) will allow her free access to one room that Knucklehead will be unmotivated to explore. You can share a quiet game of bridge with her there, and all will be right with her world.
Young Harley needs to maim and kill. Interactive stalk-and-pounce toys can be as simple as feathers tied to a 2-foot-long string on your ankle or a furry mouse on a child's fishing pole. Give him ample opportunities to get in touch with his murderous side every evening while the old biddy curls up with her knitting in the other room. Let me know if you need more help.
Q: I have a 4-year-old Brussels griffon. Lately she seems to be having asthma attacks; they sound like a backward sneeze. They started about a month ago.
Dr. Nichol: You're close — it's actually called a reverse sneeze. Much like the snort a person might indulge in when not in polite company, your Brussels griffon is sucking a gob of mucus off her soft palate. If she knew how, she would spit, or in the parlance of teenage boys, hock a loogie. Today's youth has no concept of polite company.
Your dog's locomotive imitation could be due to an allergy. You can test this theory with Benadryl. Give one tablet per 25 pounds of body weight, every 12 hours for a couple of days. If her post nasal drip doesn't come to an abrupt end, there could be a more serious cause. Asthma would be unlikely.
Some dogs produce excessive mucous because of inflammation from nasal mites, while others struggle with bacterial infection. Before asking your veterinarian to sleuth out an obscure diagnosis, consider any airborne irritants in your home like perfumes, incense, smoke, air or carpet fresheners or cleaning products. Do whatever it takes. If your girl doesn't dry up soon, she could get much sicker.
Dr. Jeff Nichol provides medical care for pets at the Petroglyph Animal Hospital in Albuquerque (898-8874). He treats behavior disorders at the Veterinary Specialty Centers in Albuquerque and in Santa Fe (505-792-5131). Contact Dr. Nichol on his website www.drjeffnichol.com (click Submit a Question?) or 6633 Caminito Coors NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120. Find me on Facebook.
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
