Have you ever had a cat whose personality totally changed, as if from trauma?

[Grasswire2]

My dearly beloved green-eyed Kitty, a shelter rescue who we brought home almost six years ago (she's now 14) has been the most loving, devoted, comforting pet. Sleeping next to me every night, sometimes UNDER my pillow, sitting next to my desk on her padded cubicle while I am at the computer.

She had previously lived in a home with five other cats, and had never been spayed until relinquished to the shelter. And so I know she had been a mama many times over and I attributed her sweet personality to that fact.

She is an indoor cat, and happy with that. Has never tried to get out. Has a picture window looking out on river, with birds and squirrels galore. Has been very happy in this home, and a little shy with visitors.

In November I saw that she likely had a UTI, and so I took her to the vet I had used with other cats in years past. (From the time we rescued her until now, a neighbor who was a vet tech had seen her regularly here at home and always had a thumbs up.)

So I took her to the vet, and she was terribly, terribly fearful. I went in with her for the thorough examination -- they hadn't yet gone to curb side only. They had to get a urine sample through the abdominal wall with a long needle with three people doing it. She cooperated, but she was very frightened.

So, then, she recovered from the UTI (although she is VERY hard to pill and I am an experienced cat piller). She played like a kitten after she felt better, and was happier than we had ever seen her. For weeks!

At the beginning of February, I realized that she was having trouble grooming her bottom, and I suspected a recurrent UTI. So we went off to the vet again, with an appointment. She was terrified. They wanted me to wait outside the clinic and not go in with her. Hand her over in her cage outside the door and leave her.

I could not do that. She might think I was abandoning her to a rescue again. The thought broke my heart and I took her home.

Since then, her personality has been different, even though I know that physically she's okay. She's hiding under the bed. We see her when she goes to the litter box in another room.

I am heartbroken, thinking that she has lost trust in me. She did give me a good bite, taking a divot out of my arm when I went to wash her. I'm using Feliway to calm her. If I pick her up when she goes to the litter box, she will purr and nuzzle my hand. But after just a moment, she wants to go hide under the bed again.

Can an animal lose trust in a human like that? We love her so much.

I made an appointment with a home visit vet but it's not until the end of April. She's peeing just fine, and drinking lots of water and eating fine. Her labs at the vet visit in Nov.were perfect, except for the UA. She's flea and worm treated just as a precaution. A little heavy, but that's not unusual.

I'm just worried about her state of mind and I'm missing that companionship so much.

Any thoughts?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Some years ago we boarded our cat with our vet when

we were travelling on vacation. She was never quite the same afterwards. So, yeah, something sufficiently traumatic can change them profoundly.

[Grasswire2]

9. sad

I'm sorry.

I was so afraid that she would think I was relinquishing her. I just couldn't leave her by herself there.

[Rebl2]

17. I have

done that with a cat before-leave them with a vet to board them while on vacation. We did it once and decided never again. If it was for a medical reason they stayed over night, the vet allowed us to visit the cat.

[MerryHolidays]

2. Yes, but she was much younger

It occurred after a long-distance move, and she became a totally different dog. We were not sure what to do, and we nearly lost her given how vicious and territorial she became. The move totally shook her fragile confidence.

We did go to a behavioral specialist at the local humane shelter, and that was what started our dear puppy back on the road to normalcy. It was just love and time. She became totally the same little girl after about a year.

As I said, our dog was much younger, but the love with a pet for their parents will ALWAYS be there. Check with your humane shelter to see if they can help or point you in the right direction.

[Karadeniz]

3. This is unusual! Try putting her on the bed and brushing her, especially scratching the top of the

head. Also, try a treat reward when she comes when called. Cat Dancer toy gets them up and about... drag it on the floor by the bed to get her attention. I've tried Rescue Relief and couldn't see much difference, but people swear by it. Best of luck!!!

[Grasswire2]

6. I do groom her when I can get my hands on her...

I quickly brush her, and clean her bum if needed. She's not going to come out unless forced to do so, except for a dash to the litter box. I intercept her on her return if I see her, and hold her for a minute and pet her but after a moment she wants to leave and I am not going to stop her.

[Wingus Dingus]

4. My older chubby female cat had become sedentary, just snoozed all day--

I noticed she had stopped grooming almost completely, her fur was dry and icky. No longer her usual bitchy ornery self, no longer chasing the other cats around--like all the spirit had left her. Just a sad lump on the floor, though still very interested in eating. She had just been to the vet in November, so I figured if there was something wrong they would have seen it. I set up a motion alarm to watch her litter box habits--she drank all the time, pissed all the time.

So I took her back a few weeks ago and it turns out she has diabetes, and we now give her insulin twice a day. She's slowly starting to improve after a couple weeks of the new regimen. It's possible that your kitty does have an ailment you are not aware of. Hope she checks out OK.

[Grasswire2]

7. I did wonder about diabetes because she loves water.

But her lab work in November was just fine.

No indication of that. Good thought, though. I will ask for another blood sugar check when she finally does see a vet at home.

[Wingus Dingus]

10. Yes, have them check her blood sugar. They should also check her kidney bloodwork again,

could be another reason she's feeling down. One of my previous kitties had chronic kidney failure, but he lasted three more years after his diagnosis. My current diabetic cat gradually became obsessed with water. I bought her a pet fountain and she would just lay beside it at night. Hopefully it's not diabetes because it's kind of an expensive pain in the ass.

[Grasswire2]

11. as a diabetic myself, I know what you mean...

She is fourteen years old, and I am very aware of what's coming eventually. I've buried many dear cats, and cried my eyes out. This one has been particularly dear, our pandemic companion when we shut the world out at the worst.

[Liberty Belle]

5. Please get her the treatment she needs ASAP, though it means leaving her briefly.

I have experience with UTIs in my aged mother, who has dementia. She has had several and each time the personality changes were dramatic, but went away with treatment.

A UTI should never go untreated. Late April is way too late to wait.

[Grasswire2]

8. She's not untreated.

I gave her the prescribed antibiotic, altho she is very hard to pill. I finally had to crush the pills and mix with water and use an eye dropper to get it into her.

Next time, I'll ask for an injection.

[slightlv]

12. I agree with others who said kitty needs to be checked by vet again.

Personality changes like this usually denote something wrong. Could be another UTI; could be diabetes. Diabetes in cats can happen suddenly and for no reason discernible. It can also go into remission the same way. I've had a diabetic cat many years ago. I thought I knew the signs, but I just lost my snugglepuss a week ago today to a diabetic crisis. I had no idea. She was in the vet hospital when she died; and like, you, I've been eaten up with guilt about not being there with her when she passed.

Because of my sweetie, I may be overly cautious at this point. Taking my 23 year old into the vets tomorrow for respiratory issues. She goes through this every year, but at her age... But cats who have a sudden personality change usually are trying to tell you something is wrong internally, in my experience. And I agree, don't wait til April. Even if you have to hand her over to the vet techs outside, do it. It took one week from the time I took my baby into the vets until he died. And I'm still beating myself up for waiting so long. Don't be like me.

[missingthebigdog]

13. Consider changing her flea medication

I have a cat who was feral as a kitten. He is the most affectionate, sweet, angel of a cat most of the time. However, if he gets fleas, it’s as if he was never tame, so we keep him on a preventative.

Last year, he started behaving bizarrely. He would not walk on the floor at all. He jumped from the back of the couch, to the chair, to the table. Would not even get down to eat. I found no fleas on him, and his bloodwork was fine. I thought he had some form of kitty dementia, but accommodated him by feeding him on the table and putting his litter box atop a small chest.

When it was time to dose the pets again, we switched to Revolution (used Frontline before). Within a few days, he was his normal self again. I have no explanation for why, but changing flea meds seems to have sorted him out.

[RandomNumbers]

21. For an inside cat, consider NO flea medication

My indoor cats have never had flea medication in my current house. Previously when I lived in apartments I did use it, but hated what I read about it.

I guess for someone not living in their own home it might be needed? But in my case I never put them on flea meds and have never ever seen a flea in the house.

[missingthebigdog]

22. It depends upon where you live,

and whether you have other pets.

We live in the south, and fleas and ticks are a huge issue here. Even inside cats can become infested if fleas come in on shoes, etc. We also have dogs; they HAVE to go outside, so there is no way around flea meds here.

[kimbutgar]

14. I left my cat with my older sister who had a new kitten for 10 days during Thanksgiving

My cat had stayed with her before but not with another cat. My friend who gave me the cat had multiple animals and she couldn’t keep her anymore.. My cat never wanted to go outside and was content being an only cat. When we brought her home after thanksgiving she never was the same and we had to put her down on February 25th.

I always wonder if she got so stressed out she never recovered.

[Grasswire2]

15. so sorry....

That's very sad.

I had wondered if a companion cat would help this Kitty of ours. It is a risky thing, though. Probably not worth trying.

[PSPS]

16. "trouble grooming her bottom"

I don't think she has "lost trust in you" but, rather, she's not feeling well. Since she's in a familiar place (your house,) I think her hiding has more to do with how she feels physically rather than being scared or anything like that. Maybe she's getting some arthritis that is hampering her flexibility for grooming her bottom. You said she is "drinking lots of water." Is she drinking and peeing in large amounts? At 14, she may be having kidney trouble (can be easily handled.)

Anyway, your description doesn't sound like anything life-threatening and I suppose you can just wait until the itinerant vet visits next month. Or you could go back to the "wait in the paring lot" vet. They would be just as concerned for your kitty's happiness and well being as you are. That's why they became vets.

I see some others on here brought up diabetes. I had a diabetic cat who went into total remission, not needing insulin at all anymore, after I withdrew all dry food from his diet. I always measured his blood glucose before feeding him, adjusting his insulin each time (you can use the same measurement device as is used on humans and get a drop of blood by pricking the tip of an ear where they have very few nerves.) He got so used to it that he would just sit there and wait for me to finish so he could have his meal! The key is to do it the same way every time so it becomes routine.

Good luck!

[wnylib]

18. Hiding is classic feline behavior when sick.

If a cat is normally friendly and does not hide from people, hiding had an indication of illness. I would be afraid of waiting too long to get treatment, even if it means taking her to a vet to leave her there.

Cats will recover from feeling abandoned, especially if they feel physically well afterward. Getting health care when needed is more important.

[Grasswire2]

19. I know that is so...

...but it is also true that this Kitty was a habitual naptime hider from day one unless there are sounds of a treat bag.

On the day when I rescued her from the Humane Society, I did not think there was a cat in the cage marked with her then-name they had given her. And then, gee. On a third look, there she was under two pillows and blankets. She was brought out to the visiting room to see us, and lord almighty she was full of pep and hijinks. The staffer had a bag of treats. She wasn't hiding because she was sick, and we found her to be that way off and on throughout her years with us. She is under a blanket a good part of the time, or in her padded fuzzy cubicle next to my desk.

She is normally friendly, and normally cuddly, but when she wants to be. If she really wanted to hide, or felt the need to, she would go to a room where there's deep closets. Her current safe space is under the futon in the most active room, and where I sleep at night. She's right under me all night. In past months, she would be on the bed at my feet, or even snuggled close. But it's not like she is burrowing away so she can't be found. She was real vocal this morning when I shook the treat bag.

Thank you for the note. I wish DU made it easier to post a picture without hosting somewhere. It would be fun to see the photos of all our cats.

[Ziggysmom]

20. It may be more than a UTI! I went down that road with my beloved Ollie. It was FUS, crystals

forming also with idiopathic cystitis. His behavior changed like you described. He was uncomfortable. I've known people with interstitial cystitis and they tell me it is extremely painful at times. Wishing you and your baby the best ❤️

https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-fic/

https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-flutd/