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Unless he is a known epileptic, a fit (seizure,
convulsion) indicates a serious problem e.g. head
injuries, infectious disease, brain, tumor,
allergy, undiagnosed epilepsy, liver disease or
poisoning. The cause must be diagnosed and treated
appropriately. Although you may be panicking, make
a mental note (and write it down later) of details
to aid diagnosis e.g. rapid heart beat,
hyperventilation, bluish tongue/gums, odd behavior
before the fit etc.
If the fit lasts more than two
minutes or several fits occur in a 24 hour period,
make an emergency visit to the vet. Some fits
remain unexplained one-off occurrences due to a
combination of conditions that are never repeated.
Some cats die during or after a fit, possibly due
to a brain hemorrhage or an undiagnosed condition
reaching its crisis point.
True strokes are rare in cats. Either
kitty-strokes are milder than in humans because of
differences in the brain structure and function,
or cats simply recover faster and more completely
than humans. Following a stroke, your cat may be
temporarily blind (permanent blindness is less
common) or partly paralyzed and may lose control
of his bladder or bowel. Most vets advise a
"wait and see" approach. Once the
initial effects have worn off, many cats recover
fully with little more than a head tilt, minor
tremor or slightly wobbly gait as a reminder.
Some cats become anxious and yowl as their
sight and hearing deteriorate. Night-time calling
usually occurs at dusk and dawn (cats are
naturally crepuscular i.e. active at dusk/dawn)
especially in the evening after you have gone to
bed and he feels lonely. Try letting him sleep in
the bedroom near you, or install a baby intercom
and use it to talk to him (if he is not deaf). He
may yowl in the daytime if you suddenly go out of
his sight - he requires reassurance. Yowling also
accompanies senility and deafness and sometimes
high blood pressure (hypertension) which may be
associated with kidney failure. If there is no
medical cause, some cats respond to anti-anxiety
medications. If you don't want to use prescription
medication you could try Bach Flower Remedies
(Rescue Remedy or one of the anxiety-specific
remedies).
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