Adam’s Journal
This week, I had a question about an important member of the Cohen household for Dr. Jennie Criley, the attending veterinarian at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation:
We moved to a new home this fall, and since that time, our cat, February, has been meowing a lot. And loudly.
She’s 15 years old. She really hasn’t been acting out in any other way. In fact, she’s gotten better about using her litterbox and even stopped clawing furniture, both things she did in the old place.
What do you think is up? What’s Febs trying to tell us?
Dr. Criley Prescribes
Interpreting cat behavior is a tricky thing! First, and most importantly, a good physical examination by Febs’ veterinarian is in order.
Febs is a feline of a certain age, and there are a number of conditions that are fairly common in older cats that can impact their behavior. For starters, I would want to rule out thyroid disease, kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes. Cats may also vocalize due to pain, so I’d also want to be sure it wasn’t arthritis or dental disease.
Before you visit the vet, note any changes in appetite or eating behavior, water consumption, litterbox habits and volume. Are there other differences, like a night-owl cat becoming a morning kitty? And be sure to look for patterns to the vocalizations, such as particular circumstances, location or time of day it’s happening.
If the vet rules out other possible causes of behavioral changes, a potential diagnosis is cognitive dysfunction. Cats, like humans and dogs, can develop this condition as they age. And in any species, stressors like a move or the introduction of a new animal can accelerate or make this condition more obvious.
I had a very senior dog with some fairly mild cognitive dysfunction. At home, it was not obvious. But when we traveled to unfamiliar places, he became very agitated and vocal.
In addition to increased vocalization, feline cognitive dysfunction can also bring changes in sleep patterns, litterbox habits, feeding or grooming behaviors, as well as a general sense of disorientation and lack of spatial awareness. For instance, cats who used to be aloof may be seeking attention, while those who were cuddlers may spend more time on their own. If you had multiple animals, you might notice differences in their interactions.
There are no drug therapies approved for treatment of cognitive dysfunction in cats. But providing Febs with good nutrition, a quiet and predictable environment, and possibly some anti-anxiety medications or pheromones could be your next step after your vet has ruled out other underlying diseases.
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Dr. Jennie Criley is the attending veterinarian and director of comparative medicine at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Adam Cohen is OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel. February is an extremely cute cat who doesn’t know what medical research is. Submit your health questions to contact@omrf.org.
