A new and inexperienced pet parent seeking advice pls ...

[Mr Mollys Human Mum]

Wish I were MUCH better placed to stay up and watch over Mr Molly !!
A lil worried .. Advice sought please - my ignorance of cats is astounding! Pls, if this is time to run off to an emergency vet, tell me!
I had thought of the 4 #2's he'd left on the carpet and the #1's in each the kitchen and bathroom during my first-near-13-hour-long 'naughty stop-out' as maybe spite, but now, there's been 8 small and kinda watery/bile-type vomits too! It's not violent illness, but still, 8 lil vomits in 6-7 hours...

Plus, he didn't eat overnight, or hadly at all ... and not interested since I came home either ...
He was left with fresh mince, kibble and some favourite wet, tinned, tuna food, as well as a spotless litter box.

He's restless and a lil whingey this arvo, won't settle into a cuddle, but not lethargic, tho not a total tearaway as is common either .. and his nose is cool and wettish without being runny or sloppy ... His eyes are bright and coat divine...

While not total devastation, in the 12 1/2 hours I was away he's upended furniture, knocked down, off and over EVERYTHING possible, plus totally shredded a 3rd scratching post.

He's literally not been outside since he moved in! (I'm against cats predating wontonly on defenceless native fauna!)

Poisoning seems 99.999% impossible-nothing dangerous within access or disturbed ...

Advice and suggestions most gratefully welcomed please!!

Mr Molly is about 10 months old, a rescue and we've only been together about 8-9 weeks..

[Ruth B]

If he is still active then I don't think an emergency vet is needed, but I would advise getting him to your normal vet as soon as you can get a normal appointment.

I am assuming he is neutered, vaccinated and the de fleaing and de worming is up to date. If he has any type of internal parasite or bladder or stomach infection he could have found using the litter tray painful and now is looking for somewhere to go where it doesn't hurt him. You might also want to try changing the litter and the litter tray, as he get bigger, if he still has a smaller tray he might just be finding it isn't big enough to be comfy, or that the litter isn't easy to dig or hurts his paws. When i adopted my Mother's old cat when my Mum had to go into a nursing home, i was warned that she refused to use a litter tray and insisted on going out into the garden whatever the weather. I was prepared to get some compost in to try that in the litter tray as I knew she would have to stay inside for a month. My Mum used the wood pellet cat litter, I use a fine grain clay based one. I decided to try her on it, filled the litter tray and put her on as she had just had over two hours in a carrier in the car, and she instantly knew what it was for and started digging, I think she was trying to get to Australia she was so enthusiastic. She has never looked back and even now when she is allowed out she stills prefers to come in and use her tray. She just did not like the wood pellet litter.

Is he normally destructive when you are at home? You say he is active at the moment but not the tearaway he can be, how much do you play with him when you are around and does he have toys he can play with when you aren't there. The destruction could be a boredom thing, at his age he would normally be out hunting, possibly for hours at a time, I can understand your reluctance to allow him out but you need to make sure he has plenty to keep him busy when you aren't there. Is there any way you could build a cat run for him so he can have access to outside with out him being able to go off and hunt.

Are there windows he can look out off, are there other cats in the area that are allowed out, if there are it could be that he has seen one and the destruction is a reaction as he can't get out and challenge it.

You say poisoning is unlikely, do you have any house plants that he could have chewed? Are there any chemicals around the house that could have got on his fur and he could have ingested as he tried to wash it off. If he isn't allowed out do you have a supply of cat grass for him (grass grown in a tub that cats can safely eat), if he has a fur ball it could be that he is trying to throw it up and it is causing him problems, cat normally eat grass to help them throw up as it clears anything bad out of the stomach quickly.

Sorry for all the questions and a bit of a rambling answer, there are basically two issues, the sickness and inappropriate toileting, and the the destructiveness while you were out, my responses may have got a little jumbled but hopefully it will give you something to think about. Cats aren't spiteful, but they can be controlling, he won't have done' things out of spite, but some of it might be to try and get more attention.

Should he get worse before you can see your own vet then i would call them or an emergency vet to get advise.

[Janey]

Hi and welcome. I’ve just had a quick read over your post as I’m out shortly, but it’s difficult to say what could be wrong, it could be health or behaviour so best to get a check up. Also if you check out this link below there’s lots of advice which may be helpful to you as a new cat owner:

https://www.catchat.org/index.php/advice/cat-help

[Mr Mollys Human Mum]

Thanks for the info and support .. !!

It's now almost 7 hrs later .. nothing else untoward was emitted from Mr Molly since .. he settled, cuddled, has been sleeping ... he's taken a few decent drinks of water ... there's been a coupla #1's in his box ... he's his old self again .. !

My theory .. (I might be a total fool tho, too .. applying lotsa years with dogs to my first cat .. !!) ... He basically just fretted, freaked out coz I was gone too long and too soon in our relationship, maybe bored as totally indoors but well provided with toys, entertainments, treats, good foods and fresh water ... he entertained himself then as best he could by tossing my flat (huge mess, but no real damage, thankfully! A deliberate act of active defiance and protest it seems, without being completely destructional vandalism ..!), then worried himself sick .... ?????

Your thoughts please all with the knowledge and experience .. !!!

[Mr Mollys Human Mum]

Hi and thanks again ...

All house plants removed prior to Mr Molly's arrival, just in case ... all supposed to be ok, but removed to reduce play with them/naughty-lil-boy antics for now to be re-intro'd again later (had visions of an adolescent kitty chucking soil about too!) With training a younger dog anyway, it's so much easier for them to learn .. "ok, we live here, be comfy, settle in and enjoy, but don't touch these few things/areas .. then, slowly and gently bring back in other out-of-bounds things and build the no-no list slowly... The exceptions, of course, being 3 trays of cat-grass and cat-mint mix that I recycle through his play area regularly, then back outside to regenerate and recover.
With dogs anyway, it not possible to teach "chew this plant/toy/thing, but not that one that may look/smell/taste similar!!" (Aussie winter, so nothing much grows now anyway ..)
All household stuff (anything I'd not let my own toddler-babies near!) is well and safely stashed ... !!
He has shelves on windowsills and 1 by a cracked but inescapable window for noon sun and air, but its COLD here now, so taking time in planning/building his outdoor run on my porch before summer ...

Health - all looks good, as I said ... Revolution began on his arrival, as did his pet insurance policy and the beginnings of my new arrangement with my great vet re $$ and care costs without having to outlay any cash in an emergency pinch up front if necessary .. But .. it's highly unlikely he's ever seen a vet yet and, well .. modern day life being as it is, I'm trying to build up a bit of a credit balance at the vet before I start going into debt there .. ! Having said that tho, I discussed the situation with the vet and, coz he can't get out, not ever!, we're gambling his vax's/neuter can be postponed til maybe Sept/Oct to easy hip-pocket-nerve pain ....
The instant anything changes with his health, the gamble goes out the window and plan b comes into play .. no child of mine (critter or human!) will ever go without proper care and, although no business likes to, she's a wonderful, gifted vet who'll carry a debt in a tight spot.....
Therefore prompting my post last night - I needed information on what was proper and immediate care !

While I doubt mistreated as such, Mr Molly hadn't found his niche... I'm m a crazy old retiree dog lady who now lives in a flat impractical for a dog, was pining for a pet but resisting a cat, mostly due to my ignorance! Mr Molly came to me coz he's a spirited, feisty and boisterous young Tom who'd been handed around several mates' households but been too naughty, conscientiously objected to by prior pets in residence, etc. til a bright spark kinda foisted him on me saying, " Here! You need to love, and this cheeky lil **** needs to be loved -- work it out together!!" .. 'Tag', if you like .. !! Well, I'm stoked to be "it" and wanting to stay that way now!
Mr Molly is king of this little nightmare and has me as a highly attentive lady-in-waiting pretty much constantly -- that was the first time I'd left him for longer than an hour or so for errands and I won't be doing it again any time soon !!

Anyway .. thanks again all!
After a long, fretful night of watching His Lordship and reading on the net, it seems to be a fur-ball, I'd suggest .. ! Is a lil cod liver oil on an appropriate treat still a good home remedy pls .. ???

[fjm]

From all you say I would suspect stress. How long has he been with you? For a cat getting used to a new routine, especially if security is a new concept, having it suddenly upended can seem fairly catastrophic - I very much doubt there was any spite or attempt to get back at you involved, but perhaps a considerable degree of panic at feeling abandoned and imprisoned. I don't think most cats are as dependent on people as dogs tend to be, but they can get very stressed about changes to routine, especially one as threatening as the absence of the source of food, comfort and companionship! I would try building up gradually to longer absences if you can, just as you would with a dog. In terms of behaviour, I think that if you treat him as you might a dog with some interesting additional habits (like a preference for using tray rather than the rug by the door, and a rather different play style) you won't go far wrong. Just like a dog that has been passed from pillar to post he is probably feeling rather insecure and clingy, and just like a dog what canat first appear like naughty behaviour is usually rooted in stress, boredom or misunderstanding.

[Mr Mollys Human Mum]

Thank you too.. !!

After far too much fussing, reading, worrying and watchfulness, I'm fairly sure that, at worst, this was a bit of a furball severely exacerbated by stress, boredom and insecurity .... Those are all big issues I've dealt with prior, but never with a Kitty-Klaws .. Dogs, ratties and a ferret , yes!

I'm thinking a tiny teaspoonful of ol' skool cod liver oil over some lightly poached chicken thigh for Mr Molly today with the stock saved, diluted and served back to him as an additional fluid source, plus a 1/2 a raw chook wing (fresh chew-toy each day!) and a lil fresh mixed red meat pet mince on the side ... As he's still quite young, any wet tinned food is kitten and his red meat mince gets a tiny tad of baby Farex and water mix hidden in it...

Sound good.???

[Mr Mollys Human Mum]

Oooops .. !!!

Mr Molly also always has kibble about too... and, of course, plenty of clean, fresh water in 3 spots about the place...

He's been pretty good with his litter box too.. So much so that, I'm hoping, in time, we can transition him to using the people-loo...

He's bright, intelligent, curious, affectionate and loving, tenacious, boisterous, athletic, naughty, cunning and testing every boundary... a true mammal teen boy of almost any species .. !!

He was with me nearly 4 weeks before I jerried-on that 'Miss' Molly needed re-naming - Fast!
In the push and shove of his younger months, I was quite appalled to realise that nobody with 1/2 a clue had ever bothered to competently check 'her' gender!!
Anyway, as I said, he's a cluey lil beggar if nothing else and already recognises his name .... therefore 'she' became Mr Ian "Molly" Meldrum ... !!

We've only been together for about 8 weeks ...

Hopefully the beginning of a lovely long relationship!

[Kay]

as an alternative to cod liver oil, most cats love the various malt-based hairball pastes you can buy

I'm sure he's loving the diet you have him on, but it does sound a little light on the cat essentials, unless the kitten food is at least half his daily intake - taurine in particular is essential for cats - but perhaps the pet mince has it added?

it does sound as if you and Mr Molly are going to be good for each other even though your soft furnishings and ornaments may come off second best

[Ruth B]

I think Mr Molly is getting really spoiled and knows he has found the right home. Reading the replies I have to agree that it was probably a bout of stress, after thinking he was settled in to the perfect home, he panicked and stressed out when he thought he had been abandoned.

He does sound very similar to my young lad, boisterous, affectionate, always pushing the boundaries, he knows the meaning of the word 'no' but doesn't think it applies to him, particularly if he isn't caught. It sounds like you have plenty of experience with dogs and cats can be trained, some more than others admittedly. The main thing to remember is that cats don't have the pack mentality of dogs and therefore are less driven by the need to please someone else.

As for the gender problem I have heard many times when even very experienced people had problems sexing a kitten, including a vet. Until they have matured enough to be neutered it can be difficult to tell, and on that note and with what you have mentioned about his early days, he has been neutered hasn't he. If not please get him done, even if he isn't allowed out, he will still be a far happier, healthier cat if neutered.

I have a feeling you and he will have many happy years together.